Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a former independent who later joined the Democratic Party, will face freshman Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) in November’s race for Pennsylvania‘s 8th Congressional District.
Cognetti, whose campaign has focused heavily on anti-corruption measures and economic growth, cruised through Tuesday’s Democratic primary without opposition. Bresnahan also advanced uncontested on the Republican side, setting up a high-stakes general election that could determine control of the House.
The northeastern Pennsylvania showdown between Cognetti, who has led former President Joe Biden‘s hometown since 2020, and Bresnahan is expected to rank among the nation’s most competitive and costly House races.
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Cognetti, Scranton’s first female mayor, has faced criticism over past remarks faulting Biden’s handling of the southern border, which she described as “really terrible” and a “huge misstep.” Critics have argued she did not publicly voice those concerns while Biden was still in office.
Bresnahan, meanwhile, has drawn scrutiny over stock trades that appeared to clash with his campaign support for banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks. The issue was central to his 2024 bid, when he unseated a Democratic incumbent in a district that also backed President Donald Trump over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris by a 53.8%-45.4% margin.
Since arriving in Congress, Bresnahan, who became chief financial officer of his family’s highway electrical company at 19 and later rose to CEO after college, has reported buying and selling roughly $7.2 million in stock, according to disclosure filings. Some of the transactions involved companies connected to Medicaid ahead of a major vote on Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Bresnahan has denied any wrongdoing, saying he does not personally direct his trades and instead relies on financial advisers. He has maintained that his votes in Congress are guided by the interests of his northeastern Pennsylvania constituents.
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No congressional candidate in Pennsylvania raised more than Cognetti’s campaign in April, according to the latest campaign finance reports.
Cognetti raised just under $495,000 from the beginning of the month through April 29. Bresnahan raised just under $315,000 during the same time period.