How a late write-in campaign turned an uncontested primary into Heffley’s most competitive race in a decade.
After years in which 16-year incumbent Doyle Heffley faced little to no general-election opposition, an eleventh-hour grassroots effort in May 2026 altered the trajectory of the race, placing an unusual cross-party challenger on the November ballot.
The 2026 general election in Carbon County did not follow a conventional partisan script. Understanding how Christian Bartulovich became the nominee is crucial context for why this accountability project exists.
Entering the spring of 2026, Doyle Heffley was on track for another unchallenging election cycle. The local Democratic Party did not field a ballot candidate for House District 122 during the official petition window, leaving Heffley completely unopposed in the primary.
On May 9, 2026—just ten days before the primary—a grassroots write-in campaign launched urging Carbon County voters to write in Penn Forest Township Supervisor Christian Bartulovich. Crucially, the effort explicitly appealed to registered voters of both political parties to participate.
Bartulovich received enough Democratic write-ins to win the Democratic nomination. As reported by the Times News, Bartulovich himself was a registered Republican. His campaign website (ChristianForCarbon.com) described him as “a Republican who earned the Democratic nomination.”
In community discussions and private conversations, Bartulovich has described his personal political philosophy as leaning more libertarian. However, in accordance with our Facts First standard, we do not publish political labels based on private conversations.
Publicly verifiable records confirm: Bartulovich was a registered Republican and local municipal supervisor who ran on the Democratic ballot line as an independent-minded reformer, emphasizing local control, Pocono environmental protection against speculative data centers, and governmental accountability.
Verified via Carbon County voter registration dockets.
Elected municipal official serving Carbon County's second-largest township.
Earned over 1,200 write-ins after an 11th-hour grassroots cross-party drive.
Official certified election returns from the Pennsylvania Department of State and Carbon County Election Bureau across Heffley’s entire 16-year tenure.
| Year | Heffley Votes | Heffley % | Opponent | Party | Opponent Votes | Opponent % | Margin | Contested? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 10,825 | 56.34% | Justin Yaich | Democrat | 8,390 | 43.66% | +12.68% | Contested (Open) |
| 2012 | 15,006 | 59.07% | Ronald Rabenold | Democrat | 10,403 | 40.93% | +18.14% | Contested |
| 2014 | 10,427 | 64.50% | Patricia Dawn Borger | Democrat | 5,741 | 35.50% | +29.00% | Contested |
| 2016 | 16,269 | 59.48% | Neil Makhija | Democrat | 10,569 | 38.64% | +20.84% | Contested* |
| 2018 | 14,355 | 67.11% | Kara Scott | Democrat | 7,035 | 32.89% | +34.22% | Contested |
| 2020 | 28,398 | 100.0% | None (Unopposed) | — | 0 | 0.00% | +100.0% | Uncontested |
| 2022 | 18,633 | 72.12% | Richard Kost | Democrat | 7,203 | 27.88% | +44.24% | Contested |
| 2024 | 28,006 | 97.74% | Write-ins only | — | 649 | 2.26% | +95.48% | Uncontested |
| 2026 | 14,628 | 59.69% | Christian Bartulovich | Democrat (Reg. R) | 9,878 | 40.31% | +19.38% | Contested (Write-in) |
*Note: In 2016, Libertarian candidate Matthew Schutter also appeared on the ballot, receiving 514 votes (1.88%). Official certified returns from the Pennsylvania Department of State.
For nearly a decade, political competition in Carbon County’s state legislative district had largely evaporated. When incumbents run unopposed or face nominal campaigns, their day-to-day legislative votes and accomplishments receive little scrutiny.
The 2026 campaign demonstrated that thousands of Carbon County voters—across party lines—are actively seeking substantive debates over local control, data center proliferation, and 16 years of legislative representation in Harrisburg.