Published: March 22, 2008 10:22 pm      

McGoff campaigns in Howard County

Visit comes a day after GOP rival Burton in town

Indianapolis physician John McGoff says there’s only one way he’ll beat Dan Burton in the May Republican primary — good, old-fashioned campaigning.

McGoff was taking another stump tour of Howard County Wednesday, a day after his rival in the congressional District 5 primary, incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, visited Bona Vista Programs Inc.

The primary has been a long time coming for McGoff, who announced his candidacy last January, after Burton made the news by skipping key congressional votes for a golf tournament.

Yet while McGoff has worked on greeting voters in the district, he still trailed far behind Burton in fundraising last year. The 13-term incumbent raised $621,678, compared to McGoff’s $246,329.

Still McGoff may be the most serious threat to Burton’s seat since Burton was first elected in 1982.

“I just have to give voters a viable alternative, so hopefully they’ll look at my background — 20 years as an emergency room physician and 25 years with the Air National Guard,” McGoff, a former Marion County coroner, said Wednesday. “I was twice elected as a county official, and I looked at over 16,000 [post-mortem] cases without making the front page of the Indianapolis Star.”

The doctor stresses to voters he’s a traditional Republican, an advocate for extending the Bush tax cuts, and staying the course in Iraq.

In those issues, he doesn’t differ from Burton, who although occasionally a maverick on issues like re-importation of prescription drugs, mainly toes the conservative line.

Since the start of his candidacy, however, McGoff has said he offers something more to voters — a strong sense of ethics.

“A year ago last January, Burton was the only ‘no’ vote on an ethics reform bill that passed the House 430-1. You look at why the Republicans lost Congress, it wasn’t the war, Medicare or Social Security, it was ethics and spending,” McGoff said.

Wednesday, McGoff visited news media in Kokomo before heading out to the Greentown library for a meet-and-greet.

Thus far in his campaign, McGoff has focused mainly on reaching individuals, while Burton still appears to have the edge inside the Republican Party.

May 6, Burton and McGoff will square off in the primary, along with Clayton L. Alfred, a perennial candidate from Miami County, and John Frame, a late entry who has yet to report any campaign funds raised (quarterly reports are due April 15).

Scott Smith may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@kokomotribune.com