Democrat flips NEPA congressional seat, a key pick-up in battle for control of US House

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti handily won the race to represent Northeastern Pennsylvania in Congress, ousting first-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan. 

The Associated Press called the race for Cognetti, a Democrat, at 10:41 p.m. when she had 55.2% of the vote. 

“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,” she said. “We are ready to take on Washington corruption and build a government that works as hard as the people it’s supposed to serve.”

“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,” Cognetti added. “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.”

The 8th Congressional District includes Lackawanna, Pike and Wayne counties as well as a portion of Luzerne County.

Cognetti’s win is part of a Democratic wave that flipped the commonwealth’s congressional delegation from 10-7 in favor of the GOP to a 11-6 Democratic majority.

Bresnahan, a supporter of President Donald Trump, flipped the seat in 2024 with just over 50% of the vote, snagging the seat from longtime former U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Democrat. 

But he soon came under fire for his “prolific” stock trading, which tracker Quiver Quantitative puts at $8.47 million.The multimillionaire now says he has “consistently” supported banning such activities and appears to have halted the money-making moves.

The vulnerable Republican was identified early as an opportunity for Democrats seeking to retake control of the U.S. House, along with three others in Pennsylvania. 

Polls and other data predicted a “blue wave” this midterm cycle as presidential approval ratings plummeted and voter sentiment soured on Republicans. The keyword for nearly every campaign — and a focus for both Cognetti and Bresnahan — was affordability, with gas, daily necessities and home energy prices stubbornly high.

Cognetti has raised more than $7.5 million since Jan. 1, 2025, compared to Bresnahan’s $6.5 million. Candidates and outside groups have bought more than $28 million in advertising, making it one of the most expensive national contests.

Cognetti won Scranton’s mayoral special election in 2019 as an independent, later changing her party affiliation. She has vowed to tackle high healthcare costs, halt Trump administration tariffs and end the war in Iran.