Paige CognettiDemocratic candidate for office in the 8th Congressional District, announced Wednesday that her campaign raised more than $640,000 in the final quarter of 2025 and is entering the New Year with more than $778,000 in cash.
“I am grateful for the outpouring of support we have received for our campaign to fight corruption in Washington and build a government that works as hard as the people it is intended to represent,” said Cognetti, who is also the mayor of Scranton. “Running for Congress wasn’t my plan, but I couldn’t sit idly by Congressman Rob Bresnahan used his office to trade hundreds of stocks and votes to harm our community. We are building a campaign that puts NEPA first.”
Cognetti, 45, was elected mayor of Scranton in 2019 as an independent after a Democratic incumbent Mayor Bill Courtright resigned from office after pleading guilty to federal charges of bribery, conspiracy and extortion. Her 2019 victory made her the first woman elected mayor of Scranton, and she secured re-election as a Democrat in 2021 and 2025.
He is challenging Bresnahan, who defeated the longtime incumbent Matt Cartwright in 2024 and claims that the fight against corruption is one of the main reasons for running for this office. Cognetti has been a vocal critic of Bresnahan, who, despite his promise to ban stock trading from Congress, has made more than 600 trades in a managed brokerage account since arriving in Washington.
Cognetti also received some good news on Tuesday, as Scranton’s city rating increased again from BBB+ to A-, which is the highest rating for the city in recent decades and the latest positive step in the complete recovery of the financial situation, which in 2012 was close to bankruptcy.
It is believed to be the first time the city has entered the top category of A-level credit ratings Scott Shearer PFM, the city’s financial advisor for 12 years.
