City Council Selects Russell

Cambridge finally has a new mayor.

Ending nearly two months of deadlock, the Cambridge City Council yesterday afternoon unanimously elected Sheila T. Russell as mayor.

The election ended a 58 day impasse between the Alliance for Change and the Cambridge Civic Association (CCA), which each hold four seats on the Council.

The tie-breaking vote was held by independent Kenneth E. Reeves '72, who was the city's mayor for the previous four years. Although a former member of the CCA, he refused to cooperate with either party, by voting for himself or for junior councillors during the last two months.

Russell, a six-term veteran of the council, was endorsed by the Alliance for Change.

"I'm exhilarated by the election," Russell said after her victory.

CCA-endorsed Kathleen L. Born was elected vice-chair of the city council, by a margin of 8-1.

Reeves cast his ballot for himself, saying he "wasn't sure of Born's commitment to certain issues."

According to city councillor Francis H. Duehay '55, the council reached an agreement to elect Russell last week.

"I talked extensively with every member of the City Council," Duehay said, although he stopped short of taking credit for the breakthrough.

Duehay added that he decided to end his own campaign for the mayor's seat last week, and instead to seek a resolution to the deadlock.

"I'm disappointed that I'm not going to be mayor, but there comes a time when you have to make decisions," he said.

The councillors cast their ballots at 4:55 p.m. Reeves and Katherine Triantiffillou first voted for Triantiffillou, but changed their votes to make Russell's election unanimous.

Russell is the second member of her immediate family to be elected mayor. Her late husband Leonard J. Russell died while serving as mayor of Cambridge in 1985.

According to Glen S. Koocher '71, a former legislator and host of the local political talk show "Cambridge InsideOut," the Russells are the first husband and wife to both serve as mayor of a Massachusetts city.

According to Koocher, last night's election ended the second-longest deadlock in the history of Cambridge mayoral elections.

The longest impasse lasted from January 1 to April 23, 1948, and required 1,321 separate ballots to elect Mayor Michael Neville.

Only 22 ballots were cast in this year's standoff.

The University's Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs James H. Rowe '73 said that the University looks forward to working with Russell.

"She's a veteran and a good city councillor," he said

Russell is the second member of her immediate family to be elected mayor. Her late husband Leonard J. Russell died while serving as mayor of Cambridge in 1985.

According to Glen S. Koocher '71, a former legislator and host of the local political talk show "Cambridge InsideOut," the Russells are the first husband and wife to both serve as mayor of a Massachusetts city.

According to Koocher, last night's election ended the second-longest deadlock in the history of Cambridge mayoral elections.

The longest impasse lasted from January 1 to April 23, 1948, and required 1,321 separate ballots to elect Mayor Michael Neville.

Only 22 ballots were cast in this year's standoff.

The University's Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs James H. Rowe '73 said that the University looks forward to working with Russell.

"She's a veteran and a good city councillor," he said