Discovery Insights Elections Candidates Calendar Watchlist

Democrat

Paige Cognetti

Democratic candidate for U.S. House in Pennsylvania

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Democrat

Paige Cognetti

Democratic candidate for U.S. House in Pennsylvania

Website

PA-08 House winner?

$135.5K

NOV 7, 2026

General Election

Voters choose the office holder.

Live Odds — PA-08 House winner?

Current prediction-market probability for the candidate, updated as market prices change.

69%chance to win

$135.5K

NOV 7, 2026

Candidate Overview

Key details about the candidate’s background, party, office sought and current campaign.

Current roleMayor

PartyDemocratic

Political ideologyModerate Democrat

GenderFemale

LocationPennsylvania

BackgroundMayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania

EducationHarvard Business School (MBA)

Notable personal detailsPaige Gebhardt Cognetti is an American politician serving as Mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania (sworn in January 6, 2020) and a Democratic candidate for U.S. House in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District. Before becoming mayor, she worked in public oversight roles including advising the Pennsylvania Auditor General and served as a senior advisor in the Obama administration at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from the University of Oregon’s Clark Honors College.

SourcesShow

scrantonpa.gov fec.gov electpaigecognetti.com honors.uoregon.edu apnews.com en.wikipedia.org oppintell.com waynecountypa.gov docquery.fec.gov monroecountypa.gov ballotready.org insideelections.com bluevoterguide.org repmyblock.org paigeforpa.com onyourballot.vote411.org yahoo.com medium.com luzernecounty.org youtube.com paigeforscranton.com wvia.org guides.vote reproductivefreedomforall.org feministmajoritypac.org pa.gov giffords.org everytown.org d1h4zokikhjm0v.cloudfront.net nrcc.org facebook.com riverreporter.com wnep.com poconorecord.com keystonenewsroom.com thetimes-tribune.com politicspa.com timesleader.com cnn.com jewishinsider.com republicanherald.com washingtonexaminer.com theguardian.com local21news.com bostonglobe.com straitstimes.com spotlightpa.org news.ballotpedia.org wikidata.org legislation.ballotpedia.org support.ballotready.org fetterman.senate.gov govinfo.gov developer.ballotpedia.org congress.gov disclosures-clerk.house.gov scanlon.house.gov democrats-science.house.gov

Political Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Paige Cognetti frames her economic message around protecting working families, strengthening unions, and making large corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share. She opposes tax breaks for big corporations, supports more public investment, and emphasizes fiscal accountability and reducing costs for residents and small businesses.

Healthcare

Paige Cognetti has publicly emphasized preserving and expanding access to quality healthcare, especially by keeping local hospitals open and maintaining timely, specialized care in Scranton and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Her public messaging also highlights support for strong healthcare benefits for families and healthcare access as part of her pro-worker agenda.

Immigration & Border

Paige Cognetti has publicly pushed back on fear-based immigration messaging and said local police are not an arm of ICE. Her documented remarks emphasize keeping day-to-day city operations focused on Scranton while reviewing changing federal immigration rules, but they do not spell out a clear border or immigration policy agenda.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Paige Cognetti supports abortion being legal and safe, and has said leaders should protect a woman’s right to choose. Her campaign has also been endorsed by reproductive-rights organizations that support abortion rights and access.

Climate & Energy

Cognetti has supported climate-mitigation and clean-transportation initiatives, including Scranton’s electric vehicle fleet and charging infrastructure. She has also described a need to address climate change through environmentally friendly investments while emphasizing energy security and job opportunities.

Public Safety & Guns

Paige Cognetti has supported gun violence prevention policies and public safety initiatives, including a community violence intervention program in Scranton. Her documented position includes backing universal background checks and stronger safe-storage measures while saying gun owners’ rights should be respected.

Latest News

AINews Summary

Last updatedSep 2, 2026

Paige Cognetti is in the news as the Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, where recent polling shows her narrowly ahead of Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan. The race is being treated as a major battleground, with both parties preparing heavy spending and outside involvement. The district remains highly competitive, and the latest coverage suggests the contest is tightening but still very much up for grabs.

scrantonpa.gov+57

Articles

TDThe Daily Beast3 months ago