Add one more Democrat to the Fourth Congressional District airwaves. Or, more accurately, four of her.
Jesse Mermell, a former Brookline selectwoman vying in the congested primary for the seat held by Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III, is plowing at least $133,500 into a new — and unusual — television ad, according to her campaign.
It’s her first, but she’s at least the seventh candidate in the eight-person race to now go on television, a traditional but perhaps key medium at a time when in-person campaigning has been severely curtailed by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The 30-second ad tries to stand out by featuring not just Mermell, but four of her. Backed by peppy music and shot to resemble a one-take selfie video, the camera swings between the Democrat and three other versions of her, each criticizing President Trump, punctuating her progressive policy positions, and touting several endorsements, respectively.
“We approved this message,” the original Mermell tells the camera, “because you’ve got some good options, but one clear choice.”
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Mermell, who had about $217,000 on hand as of Aug. 12, is migrating onto television weeks other contenders began blanketing parts of the Fourth District with ads, an unusual early starting gun influenced, in part, by the potential for mail-in balloting starting weeks before the Sept. 1 primary.
Several candidates, including Newton city councilors Jake Auchincloss and Becky Walker Grossman; Ihssane Leckey, a Democratic socialist from Brookline; and City Year cofounder Alan Khazei, have already run two sets of ad campaigns.
Christopher Zannetos, a tech entrepreneur from Wellesley, and Natalia Linos, a Brookline epidemiologist, have also bought air time. Ben Sigel, a Brookline attorney, debuted a 15-second digital ad last week.
And outside groups have started to add to the ad deluge, with super PACs running spots backing both Mermell and Auchincloss.
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A ninth candidate, Dave Cavell, a Brookline Democrat and former Obama speechwriter, suspended his campaign last week.
Given the crowded field, the winner is likely to emerge with a plurality, but would be an overwhelming favorite in November against whoever emerges from the Republican primary between Julie A. Hall and David Rosa.
Matt Stout can be reached at matt.stout@globe.com. Follow him @mattpstout.