But the newest political slate, the three-candidate Coalition '85, was not without support, with some 12 percent of voters saying they would vote for the moderate slate. Some 16 percent of voters polled said they would vote for the neighborhood-oriented Independents, while the liberal Cambridge Civic Association was the choice of 28 percent of those interviewed.

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If a majority of the incumbent councilors win reelection, the poll suggested it would not be a surprise.

That's because the public opinion survey indicated a majority of city voters believes the outgoing council has done a good job in the past two years, with 57 percent of voters overall saying they approved of the council's performance, as opposed to 16 percent disapproving and 27 percent saying they did not have an opinion.

According to the Crimson poll, support for the outgoing council is somewhat stronger among tenants than among property owners.

Residents of non-rent-controlled apartments gave the council a good rating by a margin of about 67 to 7 percent with 26 percent unsure, while 49 percent of independent home or property owners gave the council a positive rating, with 23 percent disapproving of its performance and 28 percent unsure.

More than half of all voters surveyed said they consider rent control the most important issue of the election. That is three times the number of voters who ranked any other issue as most significant, though between 5 and 10 percent of those polled said they are particularly concerned about each of the following: city services, the city budget, university expansion, and low-income housing.

The following candidates are running for Cambridge City Council: Lewis Armistead Jr., Francis Budryk, Elio Centrella, Daniel J. Clinton, Thomas W. Danehy, Vincent L. Dixon, Francis H. Duehay '55, Saundra K. Graham, Alfred W. LaRosa, Geneva Malenfant, Kenneth E. Reeves '72, Hugh Adams Russell '64, Sheila T. Russell, Renae Scott, George W. Spartichino, David E. Sullivan, Walter J. Sullivan, Karen Swaim, Michael H. Turk, Alfred E. Vellucci, William J. Walsh, Alice K. Wolf.

The following candidates are running for Cambridge School Committee: Alfred B. Fantini, Jane F. Sullivan, Frances H. Cooper, Sara O. Garcia, Richard P. Griffin, David P. Kennedy, Joseph E. Maynard, Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., Larry Weinstei