UPPER DELAWARE RIVER — Congressional districts on both sides of the Upper Delaware River beamed blue on election night, Tuesday, November 3. 

In New York's 19th Congressional District, incumbent Representative Josh Riley, a Democrat, fended off a challenge from former New York State Senator Peter Oberacker, a Republican, to retain his seat. NY-19 includes Sullivan County as well as all of Broome, Chenango, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Greene, Tioga and Tompkins, and parts of Otsego, Ulster.

Across the river, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat, defeated first-term Republican Representative Rob Bresnahan Jr. to flip Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District. PA-08 includes Wayne and Pike Counties as well as all of Lackawanna County and parts of Luzerne and Monroe. 

NY-19 was called by the Associated Press at at 9:40 p.m. on Nov. 3. PA-08 was called by the Associated Press at 10:41 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2026. 

PA-08

Cognetti first ran for Mayor of Scranton in 2019, running as an independent against a Democratic establishment. She was elected, and later ran as a Democrat for re-election to the seat. 

On election night, Cognetti said: “Tonight, Northeastern Pennsylvania sent an unmistakable message. We're tired of big corporations and wealthy donors calling the shots and rigging the system against the rest of us. And we're tired of being told that this is just how Washington works. We are ready to take on Washington corruption and build a government that works as hard as the people it’s supposed to serve.

“I want to thank every single person who made this night possible. To our incredible volunteers who knocked on doors, made phone calls, put up signs, and showed up day after day. You believed in what we were fighting for. And tonight, all of your hard work has paid off.

“To everyone who voted for me, thank you for putting your trust in me. And to the people who didn't vote for me, I'm going to work just as hard for you. Because whether you're a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent, whether you live in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, the Back Mountain, the Poconos, Hawley or Dingman’s Ferry, you deserve a representative who listens to you, respects you, and fights for you. That's the kind of congresswoman I intend to be. This is a victory for everyone who believes our government should belong to the people," Cognetti concluded. 

The campaign

Cognetti launched her campaign for Congress in 2025 by taking aim at Bresnahan for two points in particular: stock trading, and healthcare. “Congressman Rob Bresnahan lied when he promised he would ban congressional stock trading, and he lied when he said he would protect access to health care," reads the statement announcing her candidacy. 

Bresnahan struggled to find a response to the Democratic attacks. In a mid-2025 interview with WVIA, he said he could tell his financial advisers to stop trading stocks, but did not plan to do so. "And then do what with it?" he asked. "Just leave it all in the accounts and just leave it there and lose money and go broke?"

Democrats challenged Bresnahan's vote in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill, calling it a violation of a campaign promise not to cut healthcare. Bresnahan, in his statement on the vote, said the bill would "protect and strengthen Medicaid by cracking down on the fraud, waste and abuse that is driving the program toward collapse. This ensures Medicaid is there for seniors, people with disabilities, and vulnerable families, not for those who can work but refuse to do so." 

Politicians and medical executives also highlighted Bresnahan's other actions in support of rural healthcare, particularly with his advocacy around the Rural Health Transformation Fund. The $50 billion fund was included with the One Big Beautiful Bill after jockeying from legislators concerned about the bill's impact on rural healthcare.

Rob Bresnahan, left, and Paige Cognetti

NY-19

Josh Riley was elected to the 19th Congressional District in 2024, following an unsuccessful campaign for the seat in a special election earlier in the year. Both times, he faced Marc Molinaro as his opponent. 

Oberacker chose to run for NY-19 rather than run for another term representing the New York State Senate's 51st District. Before he was elected to the New York State Senate, he served on the Otsego County legislature, on Maryland’s town board and as Maryland’s town supervisor. 

On election night, Oberacker said: "A short time ago, I called Congressman Riley to congratulate him on his victory. The voters of the 19th District have spoken, and I respect their decision.

"I would like to thank my wife and our family for their unwavering support throughout this journey, as well as their incredible patience. I would also like to thank my team and all my fellow elected officials, party leaders, grassroots supporters and volunteers.

"To the people of the 19th District: this campaign was about you. It was about the issues families raised with me every day as I traveled the district: crushing utility bills, the cost of keeping a farm running, and the right of rural communities to decide their own future.

"Those fights don’t end tonight. I’ll keep fighting for Upstate New York, and I hope Congressman Riley joins me.

"While tonight may not have turned out how we hoped, I still feel like the luckiest man in the world as tomorrow I wake up as husband to my wife, dad to my children, and pop-pop to the 5 greatest gifts I have ever received," Oberacker concluded. 

The campaign

Oberacker weathered a number of controversies in his challenge for NY-19. A deleted Facebook post resurfaced, in which Oberacker showed a photo of his grandfather Ludwig Oberacker in a Nazi uniform. “I debated on whether to post this picture, my grandfather Ludwig Oberacker who gave his life for his country,” the post read. “I salute all who serve.”  

Oberacker said that since making the post he has had time to reflect, as well as learn more about antisemitism. He served on the State Senate Republicans’ antisemitism working ground and said that that experience was “eye-opening” and he learned a lot from the experience.

“Looking at it through today, I definitely wouldn’t have put that out there. I don’t think [I would post it] in light of what we’re seeing with the increased rise in antisemitism and what’s been going on in that area,” Oberacker said.

He also defended his grandfather, saying that he was drafted and was not a member of the Nazi party, despite what opponents think.

“They want to frame it that he was a Nazi, [but] he didn’t belong to the party. He was simply an individual who got drafted by his country to serve his country, and ultimately he gave his life for his country,” Oberacker said.

Shortly after the deleted post came to light, an Axios article revealed that national Republican groups were pulling money and support from the race, with a source calling Oberacker “too flawed to seriously compete.”

Oberacker said that the situation is more nuanced, and goes back to him not wanting to relinquish control of his campaign to Washington.

“This was a really an issue of control,” he said. “What it came down to was that Washington was wanting to control our campaign and was making certain suggestions very strongly to my team, which I refuse to do.”

Peter Oberacker, left, and Josh Riley.