Attack Fliers With Shirtless Photos Heat Up District 65 House Race

New attack fliers featuring photos of one of the candidates without a shirt on have heated up an already contentious race for the State House of Representatives District 65 seat.

The fliers from Democratic challenger Carl Zimmermann feature two shirtless shots of Republican incumbent Peter Nehr of Palm Harbor and an outline of his supposed negatives, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The pictures of Nehr, 60, were intended to show off his weight loss and commitment to a healthy lifestyle to friends and acquaintances, he says. One appeared with a 2004 story in the Times, and was shared with Patch after it was leaked to the media.

The Times reports Zimmermann's fliers also include:

• Accusations of Nehr desecrating the American flag, which stem from what Nehr said was a college assignment on laws regarding flag desecration
• Mentions of Nehr's two bankruptcy filings, in 1991 and 2009
• And a claim that he was evicted by Riverwalk of Tarpon Springs, which Nehr and a former landlord dispute

Nehr told the Times the flier is Zimmermann's way of changing the subject from the issues and Nehr's legislative record, and that they are "poorly written" and contain grammatical and spelling errors.

The two candidates have sparred before, with Nehr beating Zimmermann in two close races in 2006 and 2008 for the former District 48 seat in northern Pinellas County. The newly drawn District 65 covers Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs and Dunedin.

Read more about the fliers in the Times' story.

Related Coverage:

• State Rep. Distr. 65 Candidates Tackle Issues at Forum
• Easy Win For Nehr in Primary
• Shirtless Photos of State Rep. Peter Nehr Cause a Stir
• Dunedin Election Guide