Santa Clara City Councilman Rod Diridon Jr. won out an endorsement for a state Assembly seat last night, over Mountain View Mayor Sally Lieber.

Diridon and Lieber are running for Elaine Alquist's state Assembly seat in the March primary.

A private group of about 100 Democratic Party movers and shakers voted last night to endorse Diridon and gave his campaign $51,500.

More than 60 percent of the members of the influential Democratic Forum of Silicon Valley, comprised of moderate local Democrats, voted to endorse him. The forum's seven member executive board voted unanimously Jan. 8 to endorse him and have each of the forum's 103 members contribute $750 to his campaign.

But members decided last night to change that amount to $500. So Diridon will get $51,500, instead of more than $75,000 from the club.

Lieber, Diridon's opponent in the Assembly race, will have to pony up $500 of her own money as part of that vote. But Lieber, who has been a member of the forum for three years, will be able to give that money to a charity of her choice instead.

Diridon has been a member of the forum for more than a year. To join the forum, a member must pledge to write $1,500 worth of individual checks per election cycle to candidates the forum endorses.