The Northampton County municipal election will take place on Nov. 4. This year, five Democrats and four Republicans are running for five seats on the Northampton County Council. The council currently holds a 6-3 Democratic majority.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Brown and White reached out to all candidates running for Northampton County Council to learn about their platforms. For those who didn\u2019t respond to an interview request, The Brown and White compiled public information about their campaigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lori Vargo Heffner (D)<\/p>\n
For Northampton County Council President Lori Vargo Heffner, human services has always been at the heart of her work in public office.<\/p>\n
With more than 40 years of experience in mental health and drug and alcohol services, Heffner said her commitment to helping residents has only grown since joining the county council eight years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In addition to her current role, she serves on the State Board of Commissioners\u2019 Human Services, Courts and Corrections Committee. Heffner was also recently appointed a trustee for the Pennsylvania Opioid Trust, which oversees statewide settlement funds from lawsuits against opioid companies.<\/p>\n
After eight years on Northampton\u2019s County Council, Heffner said she\u2019s learned the job is less about directing change and more about guiding it responsibly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe oversee, fund and make sure things are done right,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Heffner said her approach focuses on oversight, collaboration and supporting best practices across county and state committees, such as reforming the civil service hiring process to help fill human services positions more quickly.<\/p>\n
She said she continues to support grants for nonprofit organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Safe Harbor, New Bethany Ministries and Meals on Wheels.<\/p>\n
She said the county\u2019s role in increasing affordable housing is limited but important.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have zoning authority, but we can fund and support programs,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat I won\u2019t support are projects that get public benefits without providing fair affordable housing options.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heffner also said economic development and quality-of-life investments such as farmland preservation, parks and clean air initiatives attract people and businesses.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, she said the county must rebuild collaboration with the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and continue cross-county planning efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we do in Northampton needs to align with Lehigh County,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
David Holland (D)<\/p>\n
David Holland, a lifelong Bethlehem Township resident and nursing professor at East Stroudsburg University, is running for Northampton County Council with focuses on public health, affordable housing and council transparency.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said his decades of experience in healthcare and long-term care give him a firsthand understanding of the county\u2019s most pressing challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I see people in politics talking about mental health or healthcare as just dots on a chart, it makes me crazy,\u201d Holland said. \u201cI\u2019m in the hospitals with students, talking to patients and caregivers, hearing their struggles and concerns. That\u2019s my world.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, Holland teaches junior-level mental health courses and leads students through clinical rotations in local psychiatric units. Prior to becoming an educator, he spent 20 years as a nursing home administrator and was an interim administrator at Gracedale Nursing Home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said that experience gives him an insider\u2019s understanding of the funding, staffing and quality-of-care issues the country is facing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the council discusses what\u2019s happening at Gracedale, I\u2019ve sat in that administrator\u2019s chair,\u201d he said. \u201cI know what those challenges look like day to day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holland also said affordable housing is a growing concern. He said Northampton county must take a stronger stance against giving tax breaks to developers who fail to include affordable housing in their projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said many residents still struggle to find attainable housing despite overarching development in the Lehigh Valley.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery developer from New York and New Jersey wants to build here because they know they\u2019ll make money,\u201d Holland said. \u201cThey shouldn\u2019t be asking for funding on top of that. If they want to build, they can do it on their own dime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holland credits his family, especially his 87-year-old mother and his son, as motivation for his public service.<\/p>\n
He said his primary message to voters is to participate because democracy only works when people engage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theresa Fadem (D)<\/p>\n
Theresa Fadem, the vice president of Hellertown Borough Council, is also running for a seat on the Northampton County Council with one of her top priorities being to improve Gracedale Nursing Home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said she wants to see budget improvements and avert any furloughs of county employees. Strengthening the county\u2019s green initiatives is also one of her primary goals.<\/p>\n
Before she became the zoning and code enforcement officer, Fadem worked in the leasing industry, where she said she saw firsthand how rising housing costs can displace families. Fadem said she plans to partner with state officials to introduce legislation to cap the annual percentage landlords can raise rent.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my experience, I saw families priced out of their homes overnight,\u201d Fadem said. \u201cTheir lease came up for renewal, and they got hit with a 9% increase. It\u2019s huge, and all of a sudden they can\u2019t afford their place anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fadem said she is a \u201cworker bee\u201d who approaches public office as a civil servant rather than a career politician.<\/p>\n
She said kindness and pragmatism are key to working across party lines.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fadem also said transparency is another central pillar of her platform, with any committee she sits on operating with full openness to provide the public with accurate, honest information and avoiding anything that could be misinterpreted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m all about truth and justice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Speaking to her personal connection to the region, Fadem said she arrived in Northampton County as a single mother of three. She said the county is \u201cthe village that helped (her) raise (her) children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason Boulette (D)<\/p>\n
Jason Boulette is running for Northampton County Council to help combine private-sector experience and local insight to solve real problems for residents.<\/p>\n
Boulette, a vice president of business analysis at a financial services firm, said his 25 years of experience in technology, communication and finance have prepared him for the challenges of working in county government. He also currently serves on the Wind Gap Borough Council, where he said he\u2019s learned the value of cooperation across political lines.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn Wind Gap Borough Council, we have four Republicans and three Democrats, but it\u2019s not contentious,\u201d Boulette said. \u201cWe listen to each other, we respect one another, and that\u2019s the approach I want to bring to the county council as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boulette said his top priority is addressing the county\u2019s affordable housing crisis, an issue he hears about frequently while campaigning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Estimated by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, he said there is a shortage of roughly 9,000 housing units across income levels in the Lehigh Valley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re looking to rent, prices are insane.,\u201d Roulette said. \u201cAnd if you\u2019re looking for a starter home, there just aren\u2019t many options. We bring incredibly talented university students here to study, but we want them to stay, and they can\u2019t do that if they can\u2019t afford a place to live.\u201d \u201cWe tell people to participate in democracy, but then they show up and wait seven hours in line,\u201d Boulette said. \u201cWe need to make it easier, not harder, for people to vote.\u201d<\/p>\n Nadeem Qayyum (D)<\/p>\n Nadeem\u202fQayyum, a self-employed administrator based in Easton and former candidate for county controller, is also running for a seat.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to his campaign site,<\/a>\u00a0 \u201cgovernment transparency, smart economic growth and environmental sustainability\u201d are the core pillars of his platform. Among his stated priorities are ensuring that taxpayer dollars must be used to benefit the residents of the county.<\/p>\n John P. Goffredo (R)<\/p>\n John P. Goffredo, the current vice president of the Northampton County Council, is seeking reelection after four years on the board. He said his key priorities are maintaining efficient county services, addressing the opioid crisis and tackling financial challenges.<\/p>\n Goffredo said the county\u2019s largest financial challenge is operating Gracedale Nursing Home, which accounts for roughly $80 million of the $500 million annual budget.<\/p>\n He described the facility as being in \u201ccrisis,\u201d with staffing shortages and a downgraded state rating. Goffredo said about 80% of the workforce consists of temporary employees, costing the county an additional $10 million annually.<\/p>\n \u201cOur most pressing issue is getting the culture back at Gracedale to make people want to work there again,\u201d Goffredo said. \u201cWe need to make the wages substantial enough for people to stay. During COVID and vaccine mandates, we lost 50% of our workforce, and we\u2019re still trying to rebuild.\u201d<\/p>\n Another priority for Goffredo is addressing the county\u2019s budget deficit, which currently equals <\/a>\u00a0roughly $10 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said he prefers improving efficiency rather than raising taxes, citing areas such as farmland preservation and park maintenance as potential cost-saving opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n The opioid crisis remains a challenge, he said, with the county distributing settlement funds from state-level lawsuits but needing a stronger focus on prevention and education.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re giving out Narcan, which might be attacking the issue from the wrong end,\u201d Goffredo said. \u201cWe need to get into high schools and middle schools to build awareness about how damaging these drugs are.\u201d<\/p>\n At 37, Goffredo is the only millennial on the Northampton County Council. He said his experience as a business owner and father gives him a practical, fiscally conscious perspective on government spending.\u00a0<\/p>\n He also said his Catholic faith informs his values and decision-making.<\/p>\n Goffredo said his goal is to ensure county services operate efficiently while addressing the challenges facing both the budget and local communities.<\/p>\n Sam Elias (R)<\/p>\n Bethlehem Police Sergeant Sam Elias is running for Northampton County Council, hoping to bring a public safety and community-centered perspective to county government.<\/p>\n Elias, who has served more than two decades as a police officer, said his goal is to be a voice for the voters.\u00a0<\/p>\n Elias also worked in the county\u2019s juvenile detention center for six years,\u00a0said his experiences in law enforcement and local government have motivated him to run.\u00a0<\/p>\n His parents emigrated from Lebanon during the country\u2019s civil war, arriving in the U.S. with nothing. Their perseverance, he said, continues to inspire him.<\/p>\n \u201cMy dad\u2019s 80 years old and still works today,\u201d Elias said. \u201cIt\u2019s that drive \u2014 my parents coming here with nothing \u2014 that pushes me to leave a legacy for my parents, my kids and the communities I represent.\u201d<\/p>\n Transparency in county government, particularly around budgeting, is a major issue for Elias. He said he believes the county\u2019s financial management under Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure has lacked clarity and accountability.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we talk about transparency, the question is, are you serving the people or serving your political career?\u201d Elias said. \u201cThe public deserves to know where their money is going.\u201d<\/p>\n Elias said his platform is grounded in public safety and family values. He said the decision making will come from the perspective of a family person and a public safety official.<\/p>\n One of his top policy goals is to amend the county\u2019s home rule charter to make the sheriff an elected position rather than an appointed one. Elias said Northampton County is one of only two counties in Pennsylvania where the sheriff is appointed by the county executive.<\/p>\n Elias said he hopes his candidacy can help re-engage local voters, pointing to low turnout in recent elections.\u00a0<\/p>\n As a patrol sergeant working night shifts, Elias said he still loves his job and his community.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI could have retired two years ago, but I love the work,\u201d he said. \u201cNow I want to serve my county in a new way \u2014 by being a voice for the people who feel unheard.\u201d<\/p>\n John A Brown (R)<\/p>\n According to Lehigh Valley News<\/a>, Brown, who lives in Bangor, was elected mayor of the borough from 2010-2014 and served one term as the county executive from 2014-2018. During the 2025 primary election, Brown received 10,411 votes, which makes up 20.29% of all voters.<\/p>\n There is no other public record of Brown and his 2025 campaign.<\/p>\n Daniel Campo (R)<\/p>\n Northampton County Council candidate Daniel Campo is heading into November\u2019s election with a focus on restoring public trust in county government and ensuring taxpayer money is managed responsibly.<\/p>\n One of his central proposals is to make the county sheriff an elected position rather than one appointed by the county executive. Currently, the sheriff is appointed at the discretion of whoever holds the executive office, with Northampton being one of two counties in the state that appoints the sheriff .\u00a0<\/p>\n He said the change would make the role more accountable to residents rather than political leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, the sheriff has to do whatever the executive tells them to do, and that\u2019s not how it should be,\u201d Campo said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Venezuelan native also said fiscal responsibility is another top priority, citing the depletion of the county\u2019s \u201crainy day\u201d fund and concerns about potential furloughs and layoffs. The fund, which previously provided a cushion for emergencies, was \u201cmisused.\u201d<\/p>\n Campo said the fund needs to be rebuilt to protect workers and residents in the event of another state or federal funding delay.<\/p>\n He also said he\u2019s concerned about low morale among county employees, especially at Gracedale Nursing Home. Improving wages, working conditions and management, he said, will help restore confidence and efficiency across county departments.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, he said his priorities are rooted in accountability, transparency and collaboration \u2014\u00a0 ensuring that taxpayer money is used wisely while strengthening essential county services like Gracedale and first responder communication systems.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter who\u2019s in the majority, I\u2019ll work with them,\u201d he said. \u201cLocal government isn\u2019t supposed to be partisan. At this level, everyone\u2019s trying to solve the same problems, we just have different ideas about how to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n Juan E. Martinez (R)<\/p>\n Juan E. Martinez, the owner of Don Juan Mex Grill, a latin inspired restaurant and William Penn Storage in Easton, is running for a seat on the council.<\/p>\n According to his website<\/a>, key pillars of his agenda include reducing bureaucratic red tape to support business growth, maintaining low taxes and prioritizing infrastructure and public safety.<\/p>\n His commitment is to making Northampton County \u201ca place where businesses thrive, families prosper, and communities stay safe,\u201d according to his website.\u00a0<\/p>\n Polling places are open throughout Northampton County. Designated polling locations can be found on the county election website<\/a> or by contacting the election office directly. Polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.<\/p>\n For more information about polling locations, registration status, and mail-in voting, visit the Northampton County Elections Office<\/a> or the Pennsylvania Department of State\u2019s official voter services website.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Northampton County municipal election will take place on Nov. 4. This year, five Democrats and four Republicans…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18812,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[13248,153,155,154,523,50,295],"class_list":["post-18811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-13-minute-read","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-people","tag-politics","tag-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18811"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18811\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Another focus for Boulette is ensuring accessible and efficient elections across Northampton County. He referenced the 2024 presidential election delays at the Banana Factory polling site in Bethlehem, where Lehigh students waited up to seven hours to vote<\/a>. Boulette said he supports maintaining early on-demand voting at the Fowler Center to make the process easier for residents.<\/p>\n