Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti Enters PA-8 Congressional Race Against Rep. Rob Bresnahan

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti has officially launched her campaign for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, challenging Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan in what’s expected to be one of the most closely watched elections in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Cognetti, who first won office in 2019 as an independent before switching to the Democratic Party, said her campaign will focus on corruption, health care, and transparency. “As Scranton Mayor, one of the main things I ran on was fighting corruption,” Cognetti said in her announcement. “Now I’m bringing that fight to Congress.”

Cognetti’s record in Scranton
Cognetti rose to prominence in Lackawanna County when she ran as an independent in 2019, branding her campaign as “Paige Against the Machine.” Since then, she has governed as a Democrat, but often at odds with local party insiders.

“Someone who has run not necessarily as a staunch establishment Democrat coming into this race for Congress makes it super interesting,” said Liam Mayo, news editor of The River Reporter, “That gives her a certain background that a lot of people wouldn’t necessarily have.”

Cognetti enters the race with the backing of former U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, who represented PA-8 until losing to Bresnahan in 2024. Cartwright praised Cognetti’s “proven leadership in Scranton, commitment to transparency, and innovative policies” in his endorsement.

Bresnahan under fire in Northeastern Pennsylvania
Bresnahan, a Republican businessman from Luzerne County, defeated Cartwright in 2024 with 50.94% of the vote—just over 7,000 votes separating the two candidates.

Cognetti is already targeting Bresnahan over congressional stock trading and health care votes. While campaigning in 2024, Bresnahan pledged to ban stock trading by members of Congress. Since then, he has drawn criticism for continuing to make high-profile trades.

“He has continued to do a lot of high-profile trading in ways that he has caught a lot of flak for,” Mayo explained.

Bresnahan has said he has not been involved in any stock trades made by his financial advisers since he took office on January 3. He could direct them to stop trading on his behalf, but does not intend to do so. “And then do what with it?” he asked in an interview with WVIA News. “Just leave it all in the accounts and just leave it there and lose money and go broke?”

Cognetti also blasted Bresnahan for supporting a health care bill that restricted access to Medicare and Medicaid.

A tight race shaping up
The Bresnahan campaign dismissed Cognetti’s announcement, calling her run a “vanity campaign.” In a statement, they said: “Paige Cognetti launching a vanity campaign for Congress while still running for a new term as Scranton Mayor tells you everything you need to know about her priorities.”

But early polling suggests a competitive race. A recent survey from Public Policy Polling showed Cognetti leading Bresnahan 45% to 43%, with 13% undecided. Nearly half of voters polled (47%) said they were still unfamiliar with Cognetti.

“With stock trading controversies and healthcare votes dogging Bresnahan, it’s entirely possible the seat is in play for 2026,” Mayo said.

What’s next for PA-8 voters.

The 2026 race for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, which includes Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, and Wayne counties, is already shaping up as a competitive matchup between two candidates with outsider reputations.

“In a way, you could see the upcoming election as a newer more outside Republican candidate versus a newer more outside Democratic candidate,” Mayo said.

Image: Paige Gebhardt Cognetti (Credit: @PaigeGCognetti/ X)