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U.S. House · Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District

Northeastern Pennsylvania, including Luzerne, Lackawanna (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre), Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

RESULT · UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED

Paige Cognetti, projected winner

CandidateVotesShare
Paige Cognetti154,01854.5%
Rob Bresnahan Jr.128,71345.5%

About 99% of the expected vote counted. As of November 9. Winners take office next year. Counts can change until states certify. NBC News ↗

Sources re-checked September 25, 2026 · How we research

  • Ballotpedia identified this race as a battleground. Rob Bresnahan Jr. defeated then-incumbent Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) 50.7%-49.1% in 2024, and Donald Trump (R) carried the district 53.8%-45.4% over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named Cognetti to its "Red to Blue" program and the National Republican Congressional Committee named Bresnahan to its "Patriot" program.[1]
  • Paige Cognetti was unopposed in the May 19, 2026 Democratic primary after Eric Stone did not make the ballot; Rob Bresnahan was unopposed in the Republican primary.[1]
  • According to The Cook Political Report's Erin Covey, Democrats have focused on Bresnahan's history of stock trading in the House after he said he supported a ban on members doing so; between January 2025 and February 2026 he executed 650 trades. A representative for Bresnahan said he "has never traded his own stocks and an outside financial institution manages his investments." Republicans have focused on Cognetti's record as Scranton mayor, including a Politico report that she "helped secure a state grant for a new Fidelity Bank headquarters, where her husband's uncle sits on the board."[1]

On the November 3 ballot · 2 candidates

Rob Bresnahan Jr.RINCUMBENTU.S. Representative (since 2025)Full profile →Paige CognettiDPROJECTED WINNERMayor of Scranton (since 2020)Full profile →

Issue evidence — side by side

Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.

Protect legal access to abortion

  • Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    —
  • Paige Cognetti
    Supports[6]

    At a June 2024 rally she hosted as Scranton mayor on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade reversal, she said abortion needs to be legal and safe.

Stricter gun laws

  • Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    Opposes[10]

    Cosponsored H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (119th Congress), which would require states to honor other states' concealed-carry permits.

  • Paige Cognetti
    —

Expand immigration enforcement and deportations

  • Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    Recorded votes[11][12][13][14]

    Voted yes on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-22). Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations.

  • Paige Cognetti
    —

Raise taxes on high earners or corporations

  • Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    Recorded votes[12][13][14]

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.

  • Paige Cognetti
    —

Expand public health coverage

  • Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    Recorded votes[12][13][14][16]

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted yes on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08), which extended enhanced ACA premium subsidies.

  • Paige Cognetti
    —

Faster transition away from fossil fuels

  • Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    Recorded votes[12][13][14]

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.

  • Paige Cognetti
    —

Broad tariffs on imported goods

  • Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    Recorded votes[19]

    Voted no on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11), which disapproved the tariffs on Canadian imports.

  • Paige Cognetti
    Opposes[5]

    Her campaign priorities call for stopping broad tariffs while creating targeted tariffs to protect manufacturing.

Universal, publicly funded child care

  • Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    —
  • Paige Cognetti
    In their own words[5]
    “Fight for paid family leave and affordable childcare.”

    On her campaign priorities page

Require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote

  • Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    Recorded votes[15]

    Voted yes on SAVE Act (H.R. 22, 2025-04-10).

  • Paige Cognetti
    —

Require Congress to approve U.S. military action abroad

  • Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    Recorded votes[17][18]

    Voted no on War Powers Resolution on Venezuela (H. Con. Res. 64, 2025-12-17), which would have directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Venezuela absent congressional authorization. Voted no on War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities (H. Con. Res. 86, 2026-06-03), which directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran absent congressional authorization.

  • Paige Cognetti
    —

Research notes & limits

Rob Bresnahan's federal key votes and FEC finance totals are added separately by script. Paige Cognetti's record as Scranton mayor was not researched in depth given the basic-tier time budget. Campaign priorities page now loads at paigeforpa.com; childcare statement added. Sources differ on whether Cognetti was elected mayor in 2019 or 2020; the guide uses the 2019 special election and the January 6, 2020 swearing-in reported by Ballotpedia and the City of Scranton.

Sources · 24

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.Rob Bresnahan Jr. · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  2. 2.Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti launches run for Congress, blasting Rep. Rob Bresnahan's stock trading · The Philadelphia Inquirer · 2025-09-02 News report
  3. 3.Rob Bresnahan Jr. — Committee assignments · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  4. 4.Pa. election 2026: Where Bresnahan, Cognetti stand on tax policies, affordability, and jobs · Times Leader (Spotlight PA) News report
  5. 5.Priorities · Paige for PA (Cognetti campaign) Candidate's own words
  6. 6.Reproductive freedom rally held in Scranton · FOX56 News report
  7. 7.Rob Bresnahan Jr. · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  8. 8.About · Office of Rep. Rob Bresnahan · 2026-10-21 Official record
  9. 9.U.S. House · Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District results 2026 · NBC News News report
  10. 10.H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
  11. 11.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
  12. 12.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
  13. 13.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  14. 14.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
  15. 15.Roll call: SAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-04-10 Official record
  16. 16.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  17. 17.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Venezuela · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-12-17 Official record
  18. 18.Roll call: War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-06-03 Official record
  19. 19.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record
  20. 20.Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti launches run for Congress, blasting Rep. Rob Bresnahan's stock trading · The Philadelphia Inquirer · 2025-09-02 News report
  21. 21.Paige Cognetti · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
  22. 22.About the Mayor · City of Scranton · 2026-10-21 Official record
  23. 23.Bill Courtright · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
  24. 24.Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District election results 2026 · NBC News News report