Democrat Paige Cognetti beats Republican Rob Bresnahan Jr. to win Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District

Democrat Paige Cognetti defeated incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr. to win Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District, CBS News projects.

Cognetti has served as the mayor of Scranton since 2020. She became the city's first woman mayor and won a special election after the previous mayor pleaded guilty to corruption charges. 

Cognetti ran for reelection in 2021 and won with more than 71% of the vote. 

"As mayor, Paige has taken on special interests and fought for reform," Cognetti's campaign website says. "She turned down a city car, eliminated cash payments, and cut costs, leading to budget surpluses and a credit rating that went from junk to investment grade. She has secured over $155 million in federal and state grants, and in 2022, Paige led Scranton out of a 30-year distressed financial status period."

According to her campaign website, Cognetti is running to "take on corruption and make Washington work as hard as we do ."

Cognetti's priorities include building Northeast Pennsylvania, standing up to data center developers trying to take advantage of communities and getting the government to work as hard as the people it serves, her campaign website says. 

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro endorsed Cognetti for the 8th Congressional District. 

Bresnahan has represented Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District since 2025. He beat Democratic incumbent Matt Cartwright in the 2024 election.

Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District represents Wayne, Pike and Lackawanna counties, along with parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties.