The mud is flying in the race for the Nevada lieutenant governor's office now that a recent ad alleges one candidate's association with the adult film industry.

A television ad released last week by state Treasurer Brian Krolicki's campaign alleges that an opponent in the Republican primary, Barbara Lee Woollen, profits from the pornography industry. Her business, Cinelease, rents movie production equipment to filmmakers.

The allegation may be salacious and have some basis in fact, but it does little to help voters make an informed decision. Likewise, Woollen's attachment to illegal immigration reform is an issue that is distant from the role of lieutenant governor.

The allegation against Woollen is comparable to claiming that Internet service providers promote pornography because their product enables access to the Internet.

Woollen, meanwhile, has made illegal immigration the dominant plank of her platform. She proposes to introduce legislation to verify how many illegal immigrants are receiving state benefits and then to address the issue.

The lieutenant governor's primary responsibilities are supervising Nevada's tourism and economic development programs. The lieutenant governor is president pro temp of the state Senate and is acting governor when the governor is out of state.

While the lieutenant governor is allowed to introduce two pieces of legislation to the state Senate per session, Woollen's trumpeting of the immigration issue smells of voter pandering to us.

With his opponent emphasizing an issue that we think has little to do with the office at stake, why would Krolicki turn to a sordid accusation in an effort to gain votes? To us, it shows a lack of class and a hint of desperation as the primary approaches.

The sad part is Krolicki didn't need to resort to such tactics. He had established himself as a rising star and has now erased some of his gains with this approach to campaigning.

In the race for lieutenant governor, we wish these two candidates would spend less time bashing each other or touting circumstantial issues and more time on the issues that apply to the office. This brand of behavior makes other candidates seem like more attractive choices.