Your thermostat is probably still good. You can test it with a glass of ice water and an ohm meter.
The long and bent up probe inserts into the center of the finned coil through the side of the heater box. Look for a rubber grommet with a hole in the center. It turns out the probe is pressurized. If you snapped it you would hear gas escape. Just gently straighten it out as best you can.