He expressed his disappointment with her loss, saying "she was the only leader of the council interested in the people of the city."
It was Triantafillou who brought the question of rent control to the council's agenda this year. Support for rent control appears to be on the decline, however.
"The issues are not as contentious now," Bill Zampirelli, vice chair of the Chamber of Commerce, said of the current state of city politics. According to Zampirelli, the prosperous economy has caused Cambridge residents to favor conservative fiscal policy. Rent control, he said, is a notion of the past.
Despite Triantafillou's defeat, some council members say they remain optimistic about the future of the council.
"I'm looking forward to working together and forming new positive patterns," Davis said.
Triantafillou could not be reached for comment yesterday.