EIGHTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, PA — On Tuesday, September 2, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti announced her campaign for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 8th District against Republican Congressman Rob Bresnahan. Cognetti said in her announcement that she running to clean up corruption in Washington and fight for the hardworking people of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

“Nobody works harder than the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and we are tired of corrupt politicians lying to us and leaving us behind,” said Cognetti. “When I first ran for Mayor, I ran as an Independent against a Democratic machine that wanted to keep using city government to benefit themselves. I took on the machine to clean up City Hall and we got to work, for the people, by cutting red tape, fixing our finances, attracting new businesses, putting more cops on the beat, building new parks, and making real reforms. Now I’m running for Congress to take on a corrupt Washington that has left our community behind while politicians get richer, our costs keep rising, and we get sold out.” 

Cognetti continued: “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. What’s even worse is that Bresnahan is profiting off our pain, playing the stock market while voting to screw us over in Washington. We won’t sit back as Bresnahan day trades away our future. So I’m running against the machine again to stand up for the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania and make Congress work as hard as they do.” 

Cognetti lives in Scranton with her husband and two daughters. Prior to her tenure as Mayor, Cognettiserved on the Scranton School Board in 2017 and as a special assistant to the Pennsylvania Auditor General in 2018 where she worked to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in government. 

In 2019, Cognetti ran for mayor of Scranton as an Independent, taking on the local political establishment in a campaign that was referred to as “Paige Against The Machine.” Cognetti chose to run as an Independent after the then-mayor resigned after pleading guilty to federal bribery, conspiracy and extortion charges. 

Cognetti was the first woman ever elected Scranton Mayor, and was eight months pregnant when she won. Cognetti ran for reelection as a Democrat in 2021, winning a full term with over 71% of the vote, and beat a longtime local Democratic boss with 76% of the vote in the Democratic Primary in May of 2025.

As Mayor of Scranton, Paige has made government reform a top priority. In office she has: ● Turned down the city government car and gas card 

• Eliminated cash payments and took on no bid contracts 
• Took on utilities and fought big businesses gouging consumers 
• Held more than 100 public events across every neighborhood in the city 
• Cut red tape, slashing building permit fees 
• Led the city’s credit rating to investment-grade status 
• Saved millions for taxpayers by refinancing bonds 

According to the Cognetti campaign, Cognetti has reinvigorated the city’s finances and helped attract new businesses while simultaneously laying a solid foundation for a brighter future—restoring confidence through responsible government and reimagining outdated ways of doing business. 

According to the Cognetti campaign, fighting corruption is a major reason why Cognetti is stepping up to run against Congressman Rob Bresnahan. Bresnahan’s first months in office have been defined by his broken promises and prolific stock trading, and by his vote to rip away health care from thousands of our neighbors in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires, said the Cognetti campaign.

Bresnahan campaigned on a pledge to ban congressional stock trading, but has instead become one of the top stock traders in Congress throughout his first months in office. Bresnahan has made more than 600 trades worth millions in assets since arriving in Washington. When pressed by WVIA recently on why he simply won’t stop trading stocks while in office, Bresnahan – who has reported assets in the tens of millions – complained that he did not want to “lose money and go broke.” 

Bresnahan’s stock trades have made headlines for coinciding with the timing of key votes that he has taken in Washington. Multiple news outlets reported that Bresnahan dumped stock in a Medicaid provider shortly before voting for the largest cuts to Medicaid in history. Additionally, recent reporting revealed that Bresnahan “sold off between $100,001 and $250,000 worth of bonds issued by the Allegheny County Hospital Development Authority,” which “came after a report identified 10 rural hospitals in Pennsylvania that faced immediate risk of closure.” It has also been reported that Bresnahan has traded energy, defense, and transportation stocks around key votes and market shifts, and that he has “taken steps to hide” the fact that he owns a private helicopter.

Bresnahan has also faced scrutiny after he promised the hardworking people of NEPA that he would not gut Medicaid, but nonetheless voted to cut roughly $1 trillion from the health care program in order to fund more tax cuts for billionaires. Bresnahan’s vote could take health care away from more than 30,000 people in PA-08, with “more than a quarter” of the district relying on Medicaid to receive health care.

 Cognetti enters the race with significant local support, according to her campaign, and has earned the day one endorsement of Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, former Congressman Matt Cartwright, and Congressman Chris Deluzio. 

"As Scranton's mayor, Paige Cognetti listens, cares, and fights for the issues that matter most — good-paying jobs and safer communities,” said Lt. Governor Austin Davis. “That's the kind of leadership Pennsylvania families deserve, and I am proud to endorse her campaign for Congress." 

“Mayor Paige Cognetti knows how to topple a corrupt political machine,” said Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17). “She’s done it in Scranton, where she’s streamlined government, and put hardworking people at the heart of it all. And when Paige sees corruption in Washington, she doesn’t just complain about it—she stands tall and fights back. Whether it’s politicians voting to make your life a ripoff or raking it in from corrupt stock trades, she’s ready to take ‘em on. I need Mayor Cognetti to join me down in Washington for this fight, and I’m proud to endorse her campaign for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District.” 

“Mayor Paige Cognetti’s proven leadership in Scranton, commitment to transparency and innovative policies, make her the ideal candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 8th District,” said former NEPA Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-08). “Her vision and tireless advocacy for working families promise real progress for our communities. I strongly support her candidacy for Congress, and I thank her for having the courage and tenacity to step up and do this.” 

The Bresnahan campaign responded to Cognetti's announcement with a statement of its own, calling Cognetti a "far-left extremist" and saying, “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,” according to Rob for PA Spokesman Chris Pack. "We look forward to putting a spotlight on her extreme and dangerous positions, which are completely out of step with Northeastern Pennsylvania, where President Trump won by nearly 10 points.”

Bresnahan won election by unseating incumbent Matt Cartwright in 2024. Bresnahan took 50.94 percent of votes across the district, earning 193,407 ballots to Cartwright’s 186,294, just over a 7,000 vote difference. Sixty-six percent of Wayne County and 60 percent of Pike County voters favored Bresnahan.

Cartwright announced in June that he would not mount a bid to regain his seat in 2026, citing the strain of the job and the need to make way for a new generation of leadership.