The position became vacant when the long-term Republican incumbent, James M. Collins ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against the Democrat Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., of Houston.

While in Congress, Bartlett served as a member of the House Banking Committee, where he "led the successful push to let the market set interest rates on government-insured mortgages.

[6] As mayor, Bartlett led an effort to reduce violent crime and adopted a $5 billion capital improvements plan.

[7] Following his government service, Bartlett served on a number of boards of directors, including IMCO Recycling, Kaufman and Broad Home Corporation, Sun Coast Industrial and the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington.

[3] Bartlett has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and as a member of the Leadership Group on U.S.-Muslim Engagement.

He attended Kimball High School in Dallas, at which he met his future wife at a Young Republicans bake sale;[3] he graduated in 1966.