Mayor Alice K. Wolf swept Tuesday's City Council elections with almost 2000 more number one votes than second-place incumbent Walter J. Sullivan, according to the preliminary totals released yesterday.

The unofficial tallies announced by the Election Commission at about 6:30 p.m. yesterday put Wolf first with 4133 votes, Sullivan second with 2478 and incumbent Timothy J. Toomey Jr. third with 2225.

The other top candidates in preliminary polling were: Councillor Francis H. Duehay '55 (1987 votes), Councillor Sheila T. Russell (1811), Councillor Jonathan S. Myers (1705), Vice Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72 (1702), Councillor William H. Walsh (1472), School Committee member Alfred E. Vellucci (1226) and Councillor Edward N. Cyr (1224).

Although the unofficial count puts School Committee member and well-known former mayor Alfred E. Vellucci in ninth place with 1226 votes, incumbent Edward N. Cyr is only two votes behind.

According to pundits checking out the action yesterday evening in the Longfellow School gym, where the ballots are being counted, Wolf's many transfers will probably boost Cyr past Vellucci.

A total of 23,363 people turned out to vote, an unusually low turnout in comparison with recent elections. That number will probably put the quota, or number of number one or transfer votes a candidate must have to be ensured a council seat, at somewhere around 2200.

The final totals with the transfer votes figured in will not be tallied until late tomorrow. However, the preliminary number one totals and conjectures of where the transfers, most importantly Wolf's, will go, indicate that the nine incumbent councillors will regain their seats.

Under Cambridge's system of proportional representation any votes a candidate earns above the quota are redistributed to the second choice on the ballot.

If the second candidate on the ballot has also reached the necessary quota the votes go to the number three ballot choice.

Similarly the votes that go to candidate who do not reach the quota are redistributed to the second choice.

The preliminary results contained some surprises for City Council regulars. Toomey, an Independent who often voted with the council's progressive Cambridge Civic Association (CCA), did better than had been widely predicted.

Some pundits had expected that Vellucci, another pro-rent control Independent, would take votes away from Toomey.

"Toomey exploded all over the map," one observer remarked.

Two CCA-endorsed incumbents also surprised pundits. Myers, who earned 1705 number one votes, made a very strong showing while North Cambridge's Cyr was fighting for the final council spot at the end of the preliminary vote count.

According to Vince L. Dixon '75, head of the city's Republican party, Myers owes his victory to being "a through and utterly dogged politician."

Dixon, who spent all day yesterday scurrying about the Longfellow School gym taking notes on a yellow legal pad, said that the Myers and Cyr results present "the classic example of the tortoise and the hare."

While Cyr was "clearly cruising too comfortably" and banking on almost sure victory, Myers was "uncomfortable" with his position and conducted a frenzied, grass-roots campaign, Dixon said.

"Jonathan did better than most people expected," he said. Dixon added that Wolf's surplus of votes "saves Cyr, definitely."

Myers, who appeared tired but cheerful last night, also attributed his strong showing to his campaign style.

"We had a plan, we were able to stay fairly close to the plan we identified in the beginning," Myers said. "That's the major way to make progress in the Cambridge voting process: one by one, vote by vote. I feel good...some of the pressure is beginning to lift."

Cyr joked about his position after results from the first of four precincts showed him in 11th place, but appeared harried and unsettled after the final unofficial tallies were posted showing him barely edged out of the crucial ninth seat.

Low Voter Turnout

Cyr probably owes his weak showing to the low voter turnout, which pundits predicted would hurt the CCA candidates.

The Independents were considered likely to benefit from the low turnout because they draw their strength from individual loyal constituents and long-time townies with established municipal interests, while the CCA candidates appeal to the upscale and university sectors, who would be likely to vote in small numbers in an election such as this one, where no clear issue has emerged.

But longtime city activist Michael Turk, president of the Cambridge Tenants' Union, pointed to the strong showings of Wolf, Duehay, Myers and Reeves to indicate that the pro-rent control CCA has a strong mandate for the upcoming council term.

"It's a huge affirmation of rent control and, I think, progressive housing policies in the city," Turk said.

R. Elaine Noble, a former state representative and the secondly openly gay candidate to run in Cambridge, surprised observers by placing unexpectedly high in preliminary polling.

In spite of a highly controversial campaign, Noble finished 11th behind Cyr.

Sullivan, who appeared pleased but unrumpled last night, was surrounded by well-wishers congratulating him on his decisive second-place finish.

"I feel great," Sullivan said. "Thank God the good Lord is good to me."

Preliminary Results

The following are the contenders ranked according to yesterday's unofficial tally of number one votes:

1. Mayor Alice K. Wolf--4133

2. Councillor Walter J. Sullivan--2478

3. Councillor Timothy J. Toomey--2225

4. Councillor Francis H. Duehay '55--1987

5. Councillor Sheila T. Russell--1811

6. Councillor Jonathan S. Myers--1705

7. Vice Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72--1702

8. Councillor William H. Walsh--1472

9. School Committee member Alfred E. Vellucci--1226

10. Councillor Edward N. Cyr--1224

11. Former state legislator R. Elaine Noble--971

12. James J. McSweeney--749

13. Former School Committee member Jane F. Sullivan--493

14. George A. Spartichino--452

15. Thomas B. Watkins--146

16. Robert L. Hall--89

17. Arnold M. Roquerre--52

18. William C. Jones--46

18. Vivian Kurkjian--4