Although only 25, Frisoli, son of former school Superintendent Frank J. Frisoli '35, has made a vigorous and visible showing in the campaign so far, leading some City Hall analysts to wonder whether he will be able to draw votes away from longtime incumbent Alfred E. Vellucci. His motto, "Restore Integrity in Cambridge Government," is, he claims, an appeal to the instincts of voters who feel that something is "seriously wrong with the city." How well he has read those instincts, though, is something that will emerge in the returns and not in the coining of slogans.

Saundra Graham * +

Like it or not, Saundra Graham is going to be elected city councilor again this year. So what if she favors strict rent control laws or that she has spent much time trying to arrange low interest loans to home-owners, or that she has voted for every downzoning petition proposed by Cambridge neighborhood groups. Graham will be re-elected because she is a populist in the old Mary "Raise-Less-Corn-More-Hell" Lease tradiiton. And Cambridge, with its Proportional Representation system, is a town that lends itself to electing populists if they have enough clout and identity with specific neighborhoods.

Graham is in many ways the most doctrinaire of the nine councilors, unwilling to compromise if she thinks that a proposal would run counter to her Riverside-Cambridgeport constituents' interests. Because the R.C. area is in Harvard's southern backyard, Graham has had more than an occasional bout with the University and she has often come out on top. Credit her with stopping both the Kennedys and Harvard from putting the Kennedy Museum across the river in Allston. And old-time Harvard people still shudder when they remember that it was Graham who took over the Commencement platform in 1970 to protest for more low-income housing.

Mary Ellen Preusser *

Mary Ellen Preusser said she believes that reform candidates have a "damned good chance" of capturing a 5-4 city council majority this year. Her prediction comes right from the heart; if Preusser is right, she could be the liberal newcomer on the council.

A 20-year resident of Cambridge, Preusser dates her serious involvement in local politics back to 1970, when she campaigned against the permanent appointment of acting school Superintendent Frank J. Frisoli '35. Her interest in school affairs led to an unsuccessful 1973 bid for the school committee, in which she finished tenth.

Since then, Preusser said, she has "spread out" her interests, and seen the root causes of problems plaguing Cambridge schools. Believing it "foolish" to work through middlemen, Preusser said, she decided to run for the council this year with the endorsement of the Cambridge Convention '75.

Many of Preusser's positions match the Cambridge Convention '75 platform. She supports child care, rent control, professional government over patronage, and comprehensive plans for attracting jobs and developing Kendall Square. She also insists that Cambridge could ease its property tax by exploiting state and federal funding.

Preusser, who said she is not a housewife "because I'm not married to a house," plans to make the council a full-time job if elected. While eyeing the fifth seat, Preusser also says it will not be "impossible" for a reform ticket to grab a sixth seat. "That," she added, "would be just gravy."

Leonard J. Russell +

After barely missing election to the council in three successive runnings, independent Leonard J. Russell finally broke the hex two years ago, finishing fifth in overall voting. Russell is an independent photographer and proud father of five children who prides himself on being "accessible and open to the people," and holds "office hours" every Thursday night throughout the year at his campaign headquarters.

The council campaign is quiet this year because "things have improved," Russell said, but added that much remains to be done. Russell isn't worried about liberals grabbing a fifth council seat. An independent who helped return city manager James L. Sullivan to Cambridge, Russell said, "Cambridge Convention '75 doesn't have a corner on good government."

Like both council factions, Russell is solidly behind development to ease the tax burden and blue-collar unemployment. He's just not as sensitive about the "how" as are the council's liberals. Russell, who supported locating the Kennedy Library in Cambridge, said a "new faith in city leadership" will start drawing developers to Kendall Square and other areas.

Russell is firmly opposed to the present rent control board and blames it for restricting new growth. He added, however, that some kind of review board is necessary to keep rents from being raised "to the point of hardship." Russell said he believes the universities "make Cambridge what it is," but he feels they should pay more taxes and be limited in their land acquisitions, particularly along the Charles.