The closely watched race for the Metro Council’s 25th District seat between Republican incumbent Doug Hawkins and Democratic challenger David Yates is getting nastier. In a campaign mailer delivered to voters, Yates calls Hawkins unethical, ineffective, un-American, an extremist and a politician who wastes taxpayer money.

“I wouldn’t call it harsh. I’d call it the truth,” says Jason Perkey, Yates’ campaign manager. “And it’s time for south Louisville to learn about the representation they’ve been receiving from Councilman Hawkins. We’re trying to show voters a clear choice in the district, and it’s apples versus oranges.”

Besides the mailer, Yates’ campaign has also caught the attention of political observers for outpacing the incumbent in fundraising.

According to state election finance records, Yates has out-raised Hawkins by an almost 4-to-1 margin, despite the incumbent having wealthy contributors such as Papa John’s founder John Schnatter, Humana Inc. co-founder David Jones and James Thornton, chairman of the Thornton Oil Inc.

The registry also shows Yates spending more than the incumbent has risen for the general election in total. Despite the fundraising gap and being slapped with a hard-hitting ad, the two-term councilman remains confident while warning voters about Yates’ lack of a experience in holding public office.

“We got a liberal Democrat lawyer for a president, a liberal Democrat lawyer for a governor, a liberal Democrat lawyer for a mayor,” he says. “You look at people and ask, ‘how’s that going for you’ and do you really think we need a liberal Democrat lawyer for a councilman? The answer is no.”

If you don’t believe reports about this not-so-friendly race, here’s a recent debate between the two (h/t ‘The Ville Voice) hosted by the League of Women Voters that aired on Metro TV: