"It's just politics," says one person.

"She's just trying to do a good thing," says another.

"It's taking it way too far," was another comment in the ads that began airing Thursday.

To date, Workman's media spots have gone the more traditional route of an incumbent: Talk about the good things you have accomplished in your administration, try to relegate your opponents to bystander status.

The latest spot — her first television campaign ad broadcast on local network affiliates (she ran a previous one on cable in certain parts of the valley) — implicitly acknowledges her legal troubles and responds to them, an unusual tactic for an incumbent unless it's an unconventional race. It's probably safe to say this race is unconventional.

Workman is paying about $75,000 to run the spots.

"I'm OK with it," Phillips said. "He's just shuffling things around, making it more comfortable for how he does things."

Corroon and Cook referred to the matter obliquely — "I will restore integrity to the mayor's office" — but at the debate's beginning Workman did briefly address being charged with two felonies.

"You elect somebody and you feel bad when things go wrong," she said.