A Republican candidate in the crowded race to replace Rep. Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif., went on the air Monday with the first television spot of the ultra-competitive contest.  

Six weeks before the primary, Elan Carr, a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles and president of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity , released a biographical spot touting his legal experience.  

youtu.be/lgsS2Q5tRnU  

Several Democrats are running for the open seat, which spans a large swatch of the Los Angeles coastline and includes the wealthy areas of Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Malibu. They include former Los Angeles Controller Wendy Greuel, state Sen. Ted Lieu, radio show host Matt Miller and attorney David Kanuth.  

A number of other candidates are also in the mix, including spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson, who is running as an independent.  

All of the candidates will compete in a top-two primary on June 3, when the two highest vote recipients, regardless of party, will advance to the general election. In this strong Democratic district, Carr is fighting for enough of the district’s GOP vote to advance to the general election.  

The Los Angeles media market is one of the most expensive in the country — prohibitively costly for some candidates.  

Carr’s 30-second spot will air on six cable markets in the district and is backed by a $49,000 buy, according to a source tracking media buys in the contest. Carr’s campaign says it will add to the media buy as the primary draws near.  

Carr raised $359,000 for the race in the first three months of the year, including a $30,000 loan to his campaign. As of March 31, he had $286,000 cash on hand.  

Many of the candidates are raising large sums for the race , which is open because Waxman is retiring .  

California’s 33rd District is rated a Safe Democratic contest by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.