In a race overshadowed by the Democratic presidential primary, Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., faces a serious Republican primary challenge on Tuesday that could end his career.

Burton, who's served in the House for 26 years, is being challenged by Dr. John McGoff, a former elected coroner in Marion County, the state's most populous.

The key issue is ethics, as McGoff hammers Burton for skipping House votes to attend a golf tournament and for casting the only no vote against a bill banning gifts from lobbyists. He's said he wanted a stronger bill.

"He's being badgered because of absenteeism and arrogance, and he finally has a quality opponent," said Jim McDowell, a political scientist at Indiana State University.

Burton has been forced to spent more than $1 million, a career high, to fight off McGoff's challenge. McGoff has spent less than $400,000.

The fate of Burton, 69, could be of great interest to someone else on Indiana's ballot Tuesday - Democrat Hillary Clinton.

That's because Burton was long a nemesis of Bill and Hillary Clinton when he chaired the House Government Reform Committee.

"This guy's a scumbag. That's why I'm after him," he said of Bill Clinton during an investigation of Clinton campaign fund raising.

Burton also raised questions about whether former White House lawyer Vince Foster - a friend and former law partner of Hillary Clinton - really committed suicide or was murdered. To check out Foster's gunshot wound himself, Burton reportedly shot a melon, but never proved the official verdict of suicide wrong.