Cambridge residents supported a wide range of Republican candidates yesterday.

Many city voters decided that U.S. Sen. Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.) has the best chance to defeat President Clinton in November.

"My major concern is Bill Clinton and out of the three [Dole, Patrick J. Buchanan and Forbes], Dole would have the best chance of beating Clinton. He's not extremist and he's not fanatical about any one issue," City Election Commissioner Wayne A. "Rusty" Drugan said.

Although many Cantabrigians supported Dole yesterday, they said they wished former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin L. Powell had jumped into the presidential race.

Cambridge resident Andrew J. Spears even voted for Powell as a write-in yesterday. This move was motivated by Powell's prowess in economics and foreign affairs as well as Spears' disgust toward the other candidates, Spears said. "I don't care for any of them."

Other city residents were equally disappointed with the choice of Republican candidates which appeared on their ballots yesterday.

Peter Sheinfeld, vice chair of the Republican City Committee, said that his disenchantment led him to vote for millionaire publisher Malcolm S. "Steve" Forbes.

Sheinfeld said that he likes Forbes' stances, as the publisher is the "only one who takes libertarian social views [and] does not support a pro-life stance."

Furthermore, Sheinfeld added, "Forbes is funding himself, [so] he's not beholden to anyone."

Former City Council candidate Jonathan T. Spampinato cast his vote for a less popular candidate, U.S. Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.).

Spampinato, who works in the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Development for a fellow Cantabrigian, Governor William F. Weld '66, said he believes that he has much in common with the Indiana senator, who currently serves as the senior ranking member of the Senate's agriculture committee.

"I work in trade issues [and] I agree with his vision of America in the world. I'm [also] in sync with his ideas of government," Spampinato said.

His ire toward Dole stems from the senior senator's tendency to "flip-flop" on issues and on Dole's recent tiff with the national Log Cabin's Club, a group of gay Republicans in which Spampinato claims membership.