He's Joe Lombardo, governor of Nevada.

Two months ago, he allegedly didn't come to a full stop on a red light but didn't receive a citation. He interrupted a police sergeant's explanation for the stop by blurting out, "I'm Joe Lombardo," as if somehow the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department veteran might not have recognized the former two-term Clark County sheriff.

When the working cop was allowed to finish his sentence, Lombardo responded, "Come on, man." With that, the officer expressed his appreciation for Lombardo and bid him a good day.

Bolstered by recent police bodycam footage, the news of nominal importance has ricocheted across the social media stratosphere and the mainstream press. "I'm Joe Lombardo" and "Come on, man" have popped up everywhere from The Associated Press to TMZ.

It's not Watergate, but these are the dog days of the campaign season. For the record, I have dibs on the bumper sticker and T-shirt concession.

Those who read about the stop and watch the footage are likely to filter the minor incident through their own political lens. The progressive New Republic shouts, "Bodycam Footage Reveals GOP Governor Pressuring Cop to Let Him Go" and Fox News nipped, "Nevada Governor name-drops during traffic stop …" Meanwhile, multiple Las Vegas TV stations rushed to quote the head of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association and retired cops who essentially concluded, "Nothing to see here, folks. Let's move along."

Nevada Democrats criticize Lombardo's tone and Metro's catch-and-release traffic strategy. Most Republicans appear too busy watching the endless loop of campaign ad Valentines to Lombardo to notice something as silly as their governor rolling through a red light. It's not exactly Cops material.

Not that Lombardo is likely to admit it to a reporter, but he could have played it smarter. Rather than interrupting the traffic cop in midsentence, the state's chief executive could have exercised his right to remain silent or, better yet, replied, "You're right, officer. Cite me if you feel it's necessary." It would have made him look more like a common man than the "Come on, man."

But Lombardo didn't. Instead, he started whining. It was the working cop who remained unflappable. "I'm aware," the officer replies after being told the obvious by his former boss.

I don't know if the brief exchange speaks to a Very Important Person's impatience with a beat cop trying to do his job, but I'm certain Lombardo — a 34-year lawman and two-term sheriff — understood the uncomfortable power dynamic that the sergeant walked into when the stop was made.

Whatever the case, this "Joe Lombardo" moment will probably soon be over. It's a snapshot, not a scandal. As if to remind skeptics of that, the Lombardo campaign issued a statement saying the governor fully complied with the officer.

The Nevada governor's race is being watched closely by the national press, but there's no driver's test. Neither candidate will be asked to make a three-point turn or parallel park. But it is a test of character.

Given the millions in Lombardo's campaign coffers, his "Come on, man" moment is almost certain to be buried under an avalanche of election advertisements that make him look like an All-American Everyman and his opponent out to be a villain in a James Bond movie. I wouldn't be surprised to see AI depictions of Lombardo homering at Yankee Stadium and saving Private Ryan.

With all that said, one uniquely Nevada caveat: I remember how a poorly chosen reference to bartering chickens for medical care helped derail Sue Lowden's promising effort to defeat a vulnerable U.S. Sen. Harry Reid in 2010. Lowden was haunted by a Reid operative in a chicken suit and was clucked out of the primary.

Of far greater importance for Nevadans is where Lombardo stands on the continued promotion of voter fraud fallacies and 2020 election conspiracy theories once again being broadcast in prime time by an increasingly authoritarian President Donald Trump. His claims have been repeatedly debunked, including in a declassified 2021 federal intelligence report. If anyone has been trying to rig an election, it's the man in Trump's mirror.

America's mad king is a danger at home and abroad, but the governor still wears his endorsement with apparent pride. Lombardo has been careful not to look like a MAGA fanboy, but given Trump's addled assault on our elections, there's something wrong with that picture. Come on, man. It's time to step up.

Joe Lombardo knows Nevada's elections are safe and run with integrity. To remain silent in the face of Trump's continued election lies says far more about Joe Lombardo's character than a silly traffic stop.

John L. Smith is an author and longtime columnist. He was born in Henderson and his family's Nevada roots go back to 1881. His stories have appeared in New Lines, Time, Reader's Digest, Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, Reuters and Desert Companion, among others.