Six Democrats seek five spots on Norco County Council primary ballot
In Northampton County, Democrats running for the five available, at-large seats on County Council have a contested primary on Tuesday, while Republican candidates do not.
On the Democratic ticket, six candidates seek the five seats: current Council President Lori Vargo Heffner; Jason Boulette, a Wind Gap Borough Council member; Theresa Fadem, vice president of Hellertown Borough Council; David Holland, a nurse practitioner and educator; Patti Bruno and Nadeem Qayyum, who had an unsuccessful bid for county controller in 2023.
Bruno, who ran for County Council in 2021 and lost by 42 votes, has launched a write-in campaign after a judge removed her from the ballot for not filing finance paperwork.
Council has six Democrats and three Republicans. Two Democratic at-large members, Ron Heckman and Jeffrey Corpora, are not seeking reelection. Heckman, a longtime council member, decided not to run for another term; Corpora was appointed to County Council in 2024 to complete Tara Zrinski’s term when she began serving as Northampton County Controller.
Council members serve four-year terms.
Republicans have five candidates vying for the seats, eliminating a primary battle. The candidates are incumbents John Brown and John Goffredo; Juan Martinez, owner of the Don Juan Mex Grill with several Lehigh Valley locations; Sam Elias, a Bethlehem police officer; and Daniel Campo, a commercial air cargo pilot.
Democratic candidates
Jason Boulette
Jason Boulette, who works in financial services at BNY, lives in Wind Gap where he is finishing his first term on Borough Council. His wife was born and raised in Northampton County (North Catasauqua) so the pair decided to raise a family here.
Boulette grew up in various places, including Virginia, Delaware, and California. He and his wife chose to live in Wind Gap, he said in a recent interview.
“We moved to Wind Gap because I've always loved the mountains, and its proximity to the Appalachian Trail, Jacobsburg, and the Delaware Water Gap, while still being close to historical and cultural amenities in Easton and Bethlehem, appealed to us,” he said.
Boulette graduated from St. Mark's High School in New Castle County, Delaware, and attended the University of Delaware. He left college when his mother needed help supporting their family, and that’s how he ended up in the banking and finance industry.
Boulette has a vice presidential role at BNY, where he leads a team of programmers as a business systems analyst. He explains his job as designing solutions to technology problems for clients which requires him “to excel at data analysis, finance, project management, and technology.” He said these skills have helped him on Borough Council and will also apply at the county level.
Boulette said that County Council often does not have adequate representation of the Slate Belt and its residents’ concerns.
“A few years back, Northampton County developed a blight plan working with municipal governments countywide,” he said. “Slate Belt leaders pointed to a number of different tools they needed to address this, assistance they needed from the county, including help transitioning paper records to electronic, help setting up vacant property registries, a legal manual, and a program to share code enforcement across multiple municipalities. But I don't believe progress has been made on those goals.”
He considers himself a big proponent of regional/multimunicipal planning, something Wind Gap has used.
“Multimunicipal planning enables us to shift certain types of development – for example, warehouses– to targeted locations across all the participating municipalities rather than everything being up for grabs,” he explained.
He cited Plan Slate Belt as one such effort. Boulette said that while other local municipalities are withdrawing from that entity and forming something smaller and focused on a tighter region, he didn’t want to abandon previous investment and progress.
In addition to zoning, traffic and traffic safety are important issues, especially when it comes to new development. Boulette feels PennDOT’s traffic study requirements are not strong enough.
“That's an issue I've pushed,” he said. “PennDot only requires developers doing traffic studies to study the immediate area being developed,” he said.
Another major issue on the county level, according to Boulette, is affordable housing.
“I attended a candidate forum hosted by the Bethlehem NAACP, and during the Q&A session just about every question was about housing affordability,” he said. “I will listen to people and try to make sure my priorities are their priorities and I'm trying to solve the real problems.”
He also stated that he was the only Wind Gap council member to vote against rezoning farmland so that the Grand Central Sanitation landfill could expand. Waste Management asked the council for a letter of support.
“It was a difficult vote to take, because Waste Management contributes a considerable amount of money to our budget, and the landfill's operations allow for the continued funding of the Green Knights Economic Development Corporation, which offers a ton of support to the school district and area businesses and nonprofits. But I heard from a lot of residents who felt that even with the money the landfill brings in, it's not worth the degradation of their quality of life.”
Patti Bruno
Patti Bruno, who has lived in Northampton County most of her life, currently works as executive director for the Allentown School District Foundation.
Raised in a working-class, union household, Bruno cites her experience at the local, state, and federal levels, including a two-year fellowship with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as giving her discipline and real-world knowledge.
Bruno has extensive experience as a campaign manager. She worked on Kevin Branco’s unsuccessful bid for the 131st Pennsylvania State House District in 2022 and Amy Cozze’s losing effort in the 137th District in 2018. Bruno successfully worked to elect Abraham Kassis as Northampton County judge and Terry Houck for Northampton County district attorney, who won in 2020 but lost for the following term.
She touts her experience as a special needs teacher, a union member, a congressional liaison, an emergency department staffer and two years as a collegiate advisor to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She was appointed by President Obama in July 2016 and continued under President Trump.
“One of my greatest strengths is being able to relate to the struggles and the successes of people in my county,” Bruno said.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Temple University, a master’s of political science and another in homeland security from American Public University.
She said she is “continuing to battle for the Northampton County we all believe in,” referring to her platform as “something simple: government should work for the people who pay the taxes – not the insiders.”
Bruno says she is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars, preserving open spaces, and making sure county resources go where they’re needed—like senior care and infrastructure.
“Human services is a target of mine,” she said in a recent interview. “Government is meant to be a public service, not a business.”
She would like Northampton County residents to have “a fair shot at good paying jobs” and services like regular road maintenance.
“I have been clear that I will vote ‘no’ against any warehouse development that does not directly benefit our taxpayers,” she said.
Bruno says she supports responsible growth, fair zoning, and keeping Northampton County safe and affordable.
Theresa Fadem
Terri Fadem, who moved to the Lehigh Valley from New Jersey more than 20 years ago, is the current vice president of Hellertown Borough Council. She has more than 20 years of experience as a real estate manager for community associations where she handles finances, rules and compliance. She believes her professional background and civic involvement will provide “fiscal responsibility and positive community development.”
Fadem lives in Hellertown but has also lived in Easton and Palmer Township. She chose to live in Easton’s West Ward so her children could experience its diversity and culture.
“Serving on Hellertown Borough Council has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and it's given me a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities our communities face,” she said in an interview.
“I'm running for County Council now because I see a real need for strong, experienced leadership at the county level, someone who can advocate for local concerns while making sure the broader decisions reflect the values and priorities of our residents.”
On her Facebook campaign page, she discusses the “power of community,” stating that a “thriving” community means affordable housing, better health care, and sustainable growth.
In her professional life, she sees a lot of families struggle to keep a roof over their heads.
“One issue that especially resonates with me is how incredibly difficult it is for a single mother to qualify financially for even a basic two-bedroom apartment,” she said.
She said she would work with state representatives to implement a cap on rent increases so families are not priced out of their homes overnight.
“I also believe in holding developers accountable,” she said, “whether through incentives or regulations, to ensure that affordable housing is prioritized in new development.”
At the county level, Fadem would like to use strategic zoning and land use policies to prioritize affordable housing.
“I would also push for greater transparency and accountability in how housing assistance funds are distributed. I believe the county can lead by example, whether it's piloting rent stabilization policies, expanding housing voucher programs, or incentivizing mixed income developments,” she said.
Lori Vargo Heffner
Incumbent Lori Vargo Heffner, the current Northampton County Council president, has been a resident of the county for nearly 30 years, most of those in Lower Saucon Township.
She is a psychotherapist for St. Luke’s University Health Network.
Heffner is a licensed professional counselor in New Jersey and a licensed drug and alcohol counselor in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Heffner holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Moravian College, a master’s degree in counseling from Kutztown University and a master’s degree in adult and organizational development from Temple University.
Her campaign priorities include advocating for working-class families.
She has served as Council president for four years. She is seeking a third term on council citing recent successes, such as seven years of no tax increases (and one tax cut) and continued core county services.
“During my tenure I have worked across party lines to maintain quality core services, complete the [county’s] P3 bridge project, and enhance good governance practices,” she said on her website.
“I have led efforts to create an independent pay study for our workforce and an independent study of operations at Gracedale. I have worked with judicial services to support their service delivery needs and identify ways to collaborate on the statewide mental health population crisis in our prisons. I believe the essence of good government is to be an independent voice and work to ensure a high quality of life for all residents.”
She said she also would like to continue to identify ways to reduce the mental health crisis in prisons.
In addition to her role on County Council, she serves on the Discover Lehigh Valley Board and is a member of Assumption BVM Catholic Church where she serves as a lector and on the Liturgy Board.
Heffner could not be reached for comment. This information came from her campaign website.
David Holland
David Holland, who has lived in Bethlehem Township for most of his life, touts his “deep roots in Northampton County” and more than 30 years experience in public health, mental health care and higher education.
His professional background includes time as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, a professor and educator at East Stroudsburg University, Cedar Crest College, and Kean University, and healthcare administrator & consultant. His volunteerism includes serving as a Quakertown school board director, a Northampton County Democratic Committee member, and nonprofit board member.
Holland holds a bachelor’s of science in music education from West Chester University, an associate’s degree in nursing from Northampton Community College, a master’s in health care administration from St. Thomas University, a master’s in nursing education from Drexel University, and a Ph.D. in administration and leadership studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a post master’s certificate as a psychiatric mental health nurse from Wilkes University.
Holland said he has the “ability to bring people together, solve complex problems, and create positive change.”
He pledges to be a “voice for all.” He wants to prevent warehouse over-expansion; deal with traffic infrastructure and enforce truck limitations; preserve farmland; modernize the county, especially regarding broadband and digital access; strengthen mental health services and ensure fair elections.
Holland states that the “explosion” of warehouses is “threatening our environment, overloading our roads, and changing the character of our communities.” To combat this, he believes in ending tax incentives for warehouse developers, enforcing truck route regulations, upgrading transportation infrastructure, and creating stronger zoning protections to preserve open space and farmland.
In addition to warehouse traffic and congestion, Holland also sees road deterioration and flooding as threats to county residents’ quality of life and safety. He would like to rebuild roads and bridges where needed, push for better stormwater management to prevent flooding and further damage, and hold developers accountable for infrastructure upgrades needed as part of their plans.
In digital infrastructure, Holland would support a public-private partnership to expand broadband across the county and include free community Wi-Fi zones in his plan.
As a public health advocate, Holland believes mental health care is underfunded and understaffed in the county. He would like to expand crisis intervention programs so that first responders and law enforcement could respond to mental health emergencies effectively.
Nadeem Qayyum
Nadeem Qayyum, who lives in the Highlands of Easton’s South Side, practiced law in his native Pakistan and has more than 30 years of business management experience, including at Ladybug restaurant, which opened in Phillipsburg, N.J., in 2011 and closed in 2013. In law, he specialized in the prosecution of white-collar crime, something he still does for former clients via virtual proceedings.
He credits his time at the restaurant for developing his sense of fiscal management and calls himself an “unrivaled expert of balancing budgets” while “maximizing the value of a dollar.”
Qayyum has lived in the Lehigh Valley for 25 years, 12 of those in Northampton County. In addition to his professional experiences, he has worked in the warehouse industry and also done professional driving, which he feels gives him a broad perspective of life in the region – “from intellectual to physical work” – and an awareness of the community’s needs.
He holds a master of science in administration from the University of Phoenix, as well as two bachelor’s degrees. In 2023, Qayyum ran for county controller and lost to Zrinski.
“I earned 9,323 votes. Though I didn’t win, it was a true grassroots effort — I knocked on over 12,000 doors and stayed deeply engaged with voters,” he said.
“Before that I ran for district judge, further strengthening my connection to the people of this county. Those experiences taught me the importance of listening, building trust, and showing up for communities.”
In the Northampton County Council campaign, Qayyum is campaigning on several issues: transparent government, job creation, affordable housing, and climate action/environmental protection. He also pledges to reduce taxes. He considers himself a progressive.
Qayyum bemoans insufficient tax revenue in Pennsylvania and its impact on local life.
“Over the last 15 years, corporate tax cuts have reduced Pennsylvania tax revenue by $3.9 billion a year,” he said. “This means less money for education, environmental protection, infrastructure improvement and development, and other critical services. During the same period of time, middle class property tax rates have gone up.”
Qayyum backs freezing property taxes for seniors and reducing property tax bills by 50% for homeowners making less than $50,000/year.
Qayyum said he would push the county to pay all contracted workers at least $22 per hour. He proposes solar panel requirements on warehouse roofs to reduce strain on the power grid and mandating electric truck fleets at warehouses to cut diesel emissions.
He is concerned about the environmental impact on the county with projects like potential landfill expansion in Lower Saucon.
“I oppose this due to its environmental and health risks,” he said. “We need stronger county-level reviews, state legislation to limit landfill growth near homes, and renewable energy projects (like solar farms) on degraded land instead.”
He would also like to see the county transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030 and would create a climate task force at the county level.
Another controversial project that Qayyum opposes is luxury apartments in the former Dixie Cup plant in Wilson. He would like to see the Dixie Cup repurposed into affordable housing and a homeless shelter. All new housing projects should contain 20% affordable units, he said.
Qayyum is married to Easton City Council member Taiba Sultana.
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