The Cambridge City Council came close to electing a new mayor last night, but in the end, it was no cigar.

For the first time since balloting began on Jan. 5, four of the five councillors endorsed by the Cambridge Civie Association (CCA) managed to agree on a choice for mayor. On the 11th ballot, the four voted for CCA Councillor Thomas Coates, and on the 12th ballot moved to CCA Councillor Thomas H. D. Mahoney.

But Councillor Edward A. Cranc '35-the remaining member of the CCA majority-declined to join his colleagues and provide the fifth vote necessary for one of them to become mayor. Crane continued to vote "present."

"I have stated that I would vote present' until my vote became effective," Crane told the council, "Effective," he said, "pertained to the general situationin the City of Cambridge," not merely to providing a fifth vote for a mayor.

The council needed a unified majority-not a shaky one created by trade-offs of mayoralty votes-to solve a variety of outstanding issues, including unmade appointments, he said.

After Crane spoke, the council took two more ballots, but CCA councillors returned to their previous pattern of sending their votes to several councillors. Ballotting will resume this Thursday.