Peter Nehr (born June 29, 1952) is an Austrian-born

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

politician and former

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...

who represented the 48th District of

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from 2006 to 2012.

Biography

Personal life

Peter Nehr was born in

Kapfenberg Kapfenberg , with around 22,609 inhabitants, is the third largest city in Styria, Austria, near Bruck an der Mur. The town's landmark is Burg Oberkapfenberg. Its main employer is the steel manufacturer Böhler. The town has a swimming complex, ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, on June 29, 1952, and began his education at the St. Petersburg Junior College, now known as

St. Petersburg College St. Petersburg College (SPC) is a public college in Pinellas County, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and one of the institutions in the system designated a "state college," as it offers a greater number of bachelor's degrees th ...

. He completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science at the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...

. He owned a flag shop in

Tarpon Springs, Florida Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 23,484 at the 2010 census. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal po ...

, but filed for

personal bankruptcy Personal bankruptcy law allows, in certain jurisdictions, an individual to be declared bankrupt. Virtually every country with a modern legal system features some form of debt relief for individuals. Personal bankruptcy is distinguished from corporat ...

, facing a more than $300,000 cash shortfall. In the spring of 2011, Nehr chose to close Fun City Sweepstakes in Palm Harbor, which he owned, after the Pinellas County Sheriff threatened to shut it down as a gambling establishment.

Political career

Beginning in 2002, Nehr served two terms as City Commissioner for the city of

, and on the Board of Directors of the Tarpon Springs Historical Society. He is also on the Board of the local

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...

. He was the organizer of Tarpon Springs' first Military Appreciation Day Parade. He served also as a

Guardian ad litem A legal guardian is a person who has been appointed by a court or otherwise has the legal authority (and the corresponding duty) to make decisions relevant to the personal and property interests of another person who is deemed incompetent, calle ...

in the State of Florida in

Pinellas County Pinellas County (, ) is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 959,107. The county is part of the Tampa–St. Petersburg– Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical ...

. In the 2006 election, Nehr narrowly defeated Countryside High School teacher Carl Zimmerman to become the Florida State House representative for District 48. During the 2007 session, he served on the Committee on Ethics & Elections, where he was vice chair. He won re-election to the Florida House on November 4, 2008 again by a narrow margin (51% to 49%) over Zimmerman. He was re-elected in 2010, defeating challenger Tom McKone, with 61.5% of the vote. In 2012, the district was renumbered as the 65th district; Nehr narrowly lost to Zimmerman, 54%-49%. In 2014, Nehr was an unsuccessful candidate for a seat on the Pinellas County Commission; he finished second of seven candidates in the Republican Primary election, with 22% of the vote.

Philosophical or political views

VoteSmart compiled Nehr's ratings by various groups. In 2008, he rated "100" compared with the position of the Associated Builders and Contractors. He was rated in the 90s with Associated Industries of Florida and the

Florida Chamber of Commerce The Florida Chamber of Commerce is an organization devoted to the advocacy of private businesses in the state of Florida. This Chamber originated in 1912, and included its first continuing group in 1916, the ''Florida Tick Eradication Committee''.h ...

. In 2007, the Christian Coalition of Florida gave him a rating in the 50s., in 2008 in the 70s. According to his campaign site, Nehr supported the "Homeowner's Insurance Bill of Rights", legislation mandating lower insurance premiums for those made improvements to their homes to strengthen them against

tropical storm A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

s and sought lower insurance rates. He believes health care should be reasonably affordable and of high quality. He also said that tax-funded services should be cut to lower taxes.Peter Nehr on the Issues. Online. November 5, 2008.
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References

External links

Official WebsiteSponsored BillsProject VoteSmart
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St Petersburg Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...