CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES

Mayoral candidate Walter Moore has qualified for city matching funds and collected a $43,000 check for his campaign. Moore is one of the nine candidates challenging Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in the city’s March 3 primary election, and the only one to raise enough in campaign contributions to qualify for city matching funds.

Candidates must raise at least $150,000 in contributions of $500 or less from individuals to qualify. Moore had raised close to $203,000 as of Jan. 17 and had spent all of it, records show.

Villaraigosa raised $2.7 million in contributions and had $1.9 million on hand as of last week. He has declined matching funds. None of the other candidates have raised more than $3,500 in contributions, records show.

-- Phil Willon