Paige Cognetti flips Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, defeats Rob Bresnahan

Democrat Paige Cognetti defeated Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District on Tuesday, flipping a closely watched northeastern Pennsylvania seat.

Decision Desk HQ called the race for Cognetti at 08:08 p.m. EST. As of 09:25 p.m. EST, Cognetti led over Bresnahan by a count of 56.2% to 43.8%.

Cognetti, Scranton’s mayor, unseated Bresnahan after a campaign focused heavily on government accountability, rising costs and his congressional stock trading. Bresnahan narrowly defeated former Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright in 2024, making the district a major target for Democrats seeking to regain control of the U.S. House.

Heartland Signal’s reporting examined Bresnahan’s financial transactions, including his sale of roughly $130,000 in health care stocks shortly before voting for legislation containing major Medicaid cuts. The reporting also detailed his investments in companies that could benefit from policy decisions involving tariffs, data centers and the war in Iran.

Cognetti campaigned on preventing politicians from enriching themselves through public office, expanding access to health care and protecting residents from rising electricity costs. She also criticized Bresnahan’s support for data center development without stronger local protections.

The victory gives Democrats another opportunity to reclaim the House majority and represents a significant setback for Republicans in northeastern Pennsylvania. It also puts a former mayor who built her political career around local government accountability in Congress.