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By Andrew Stanton
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Paige Cognetti, the Democratic mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania, is challenging Republican Representative Rob Bresnahan in what is expected to be among the most competitive House elections of the 2026 midterms.
Cognetti wrote in a campaignstatement that she is running 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."
Chris Pack, a spokesperson for Bresnahan, told Newsweek that Cognetti's bid amounted to a "vanity campaign" and described her as a "far-left extremist."
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Why It Matters
Republicans hold a 219-212 majority in the House of Representatives, which Democrats are hoping to change in November 2026. Securing a majority means Democrats must win more seats in districts carried by President Donald Trump in 2024.
Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District, where Bresnahan unseated longtime Democratic Representative Matthew Cartwright last year, is emblematic of the seats Democrats are hoping to win back in the midterms.
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What To Know
On Tuesday, Cognetti made her congressional campaign official, launching with a video in which she criticized Bresnahan's record of stock trading and emphasized her record as mayor.
"When our mayor went to prison for corruption, the Democratic machine thought that they could put in another crony, so I took on the powerful and corrupt Democrats and ran for mayor as an independent," she said.
An internal Democratic poll showed Cognetti with an early lead over Bresnahan, Politico reported.
The Public Policy Polling survey of the district showed that 45 percent of respondents said they would vote for Cognetti, while 43 percent would cast their ballots for Bresnahan. Still, 13 percent remained usure of who they'd vote for. Winning over those undecided voters is key for each candidate in November 2026.
Fifty percent of respondents said they disapproved of Trump's job performance, while 48 percent said they approved of his time in office so far, according to the poll, which surveyed 615 voters in the district from August 27 to August 28.
While internal polls are typically viewed as not carrying the same weight as independent surveys, the results underscore the competitive nature of the race.
J. Wesley Leckrone, a professor and chair of political sciences at Widener University, told Newsweek on Tuesday that this should be a "very close race" in November 2026.
"With Trump not at the top of the ticket, it will be interesting to see whether Republican voters turn out in the same numbers for congressional candidates," he said. "On the Democratic side, Josh Shapiro will be at the top of the ticket as he runs for reelection as Pennsylvania's governor. This could bolster Democratic chances down-ballot."
The district has been historically close, and Democrats should have a "reasonable chance of winning the seat back in 2026" given current trends, Leckrone said.
Cognetti will be a solid recruit for Democrats, he said.
"She should be able to get traction as a person who cares more about good government than politics," he said. "She was elected mayor as an independent and made fighting party corruption her primary theme. If she can frame herself as someone who has the experience to help clean up politics in Washington, D.C., this could be a winning formular for her."
Bresnahan may be vulnerable as a first-term incumbent who won by a tight margin in 2024, he said.
"Bresnahan has had questionable stock trades as a member of Congress," Leckrone said. "Further, Democrats can yolk him to Trump and the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' that has not proven to be very popular with voters. It should be relatively tough reelection campaign for him."
Still, the district has become increasingly conservative over the past decade, voting for Trump by more than 8 points over then-Vice President Kamala Harris last year. Only one Democrat in the House—Jared Golden of Maine—represents a more conservative district.
Leckrone said the district's rightward shift has been "part of the national trend of the working class, particularly white men, turning to the Republican Party."
Pennsylvania is set to be home to three of the most competitive races. In addition to PA-08, Democrats are eyeing two other districts as top targets.
Those include Pennsylvania's 7th District, which covers Allentown. In November, Republican Representative Ryan Mackenzie won the seat, narrowly defeating then-incumbent Democratic Representative Susan Wild. Democrats are also hoping that Janelle Stelson can unseat Republican Representative Scott Perry in Pennsylvania's 10th District, a Harrisburg-based battleground.
What People Are Saying
Paige Cognetti, in a statement: "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 don'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."
Chris Pack, a spokesperson for Republican Representative Rob Bresnahan, told Newsweek: "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. Mayor Cognetti is a far-left extremist who has backed a radical agenda, from open borders and eliminating Medicaid to force everyone into government-run health care, to defunding the police, banning fracking, and even supporting taxpayer-funded sex change operations for illegal immigrants. 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."
Democratic Representative Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, on X: "When Mayor Paige Cognetti 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."
Journalist Matthew Yglesias, on X: "Dems have a problem this cycle of way too much grassroots money going to well-known House members in safe seats rather than frontliners or people like Cognetti who are taking on difficult races. Need to show potential recruits that donors will show up for races like this one."
What Happens Next
The Cook Political Report classifies the race as "leans Republican," meaning that while it is "considered competitive," the GOP has an advantage. Sabato's Crystal Ball also lists the race as leaning toward Republicans.
The general election in Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District is scheduled for November 3, 2026.
Update 9/2/25, 12:35 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 9/2/25, 2:30 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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