An unofficial first ballot count indicated yesterday that the Cambridge Civic Association, which pledges to be "more sympathetic to Harvard", will regain a majority in the City Council election by a 5-4 margin.

In the initial tabulation, all eight incumbent councillors, four from each party, finished among the top nine candidates. The lone newcomer on the list was CCA-endorsed Mrs. Pearl Wise who replaced Mayor John J. Foley (Independent), the only councilman not seeking reelection.

The single candidate to be assured of a seat in the Council after yesterday's count was Independent Edward J. Sullivan who became the city's top vote-getter with a total of 4,806 first place votes out of the 36,234 ballots cast.

Sullivan, now in his seventh year as a Councillor following his father's 13-year term of service, said last night that his high vote total reaffirmed his belief that he is "fighting for the right cause in the city parking battle."

"After a short vacation," Sullivan added, "I shall be back to ask the legislature to pass a law allowing the Cambridge police to tow away illegally-parked student cars."

The reelected councilman said he had not recruited the University vote and that "only 20 out of 1000 Harvard ballots were for me."

Voting authorities last night set the quota for a councillor's election at 3,624. Today they will begin to tabulate second and third place votes in order to determine the remaining eight positions in the Council.

DeGugllelme Ahead

Almost certain to reach this quota this afternoon are Edward A. Crane (CCA), who polled 3,416 in the first count, Joseph J. DeGuglielmo '29 (CCA), 2644, and Mrs. Pearl Wise (CCA), who reached an unprecedented total of 2137 in her first Council campaign election.

Early speculation among the local politicians at the primary ballot count predicted that the CCA would also gain two more positions on the nine-member Council. These candidates are Marcus Morton, an incumbent who finished fifth in the voting yesterday with 2114, and Vice-Mayor Myman Pill, who placed ninth with 1693.

Pill, a city officer for 22 years, is expected to make up his deficit rapidly with second and third place choices, while Morton, only 83 votes behind fourth-place Mrs. Wise, should also gain enough points to reach the quota.