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Pat McCrory is red-carpet political fundraising has attracted its fair share of GOP stars: Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Steve Forbes and Nikki Haley.

But his campaign's April 30 check-gathering at the Angus Barn will likely top those events thanks to headliner Jeb Bush. The hosts for the event -- announced Thursday by his campaign -- include former Denmark Ambassador Jim Cain, appointed by President George W. Bush; Golden Corral executive Ted Fowler; Republican uber-fundraiser Kieran Shanahan; and businesswoman Judi Grainger.

Bush, the former Florida Republican governor, is widely considered as a future presidential candidate and known for his dedication to education policy. And it's worth noting he's in town next month as part of an education summit with former Democratic N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt.

The event will help McCrory boost his financial advantage over the Democratic candidates who will spend the next six weeks squeezing blood from a turnip and spend much of it to get the party's nomination.

Former White House advisor Karl Rove helped raise about $400,000 Thursday night in Raleigh for the re-election campaign of GOP Sen. Richard Burr, according to the event's organizers.

The event at the Angus Barn restaurant, one of the larger fund raiser for Burr, featured Rove, who the chief political strategist for former President George W. Bush.

The event's general chairman was Greensboro business executive Louis DeJoy, the spouse of Aldona Wos, a former U.S. ambassador Estonia. The event's chairman was Raleigh attorney Jim Cain and his Helen. Cain is a former U.S. ambassador to Denmark. Both DeJoy and Cain are veteran GOP fund raisers.

Among the events co-chairs were Ann and Jim Goodnight, the founder of SAS,  the Cary software company;builder Jeff Ammons and his wife Beth, North Hills developer John Kane and his wife Willa, former Raleigh City Councilman Kieran Shanahan and his wife Tina;  Golden Corral executive Ted Fowler and his wife Glenda Fowler.

The event was closed to the news media which drew some criticism from the Democrats.

"Burr either doesn't want a picture taken with his old buddy or he doesn't want North Carolina voters to be reminded of his dismal record of rubber stamping the policies that wrecked the North Carolina economy in the first place," said Deirdre Murphy, spokeswoman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.