As the general election campaign officially kicked off, Governor Josh Shapiro extended his support to Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, aiming to amplify her congressional run in Luzerne County.
During his visit to the Avenue Restaurant in Wyoming, Shapiro, also a Democrat and vying for re-election, dedicated his time to promoting Cognetti, who is less recognized in the region compared to him.
Shapiro praised Cognetti as “a thoroughly decent human being, a person with integrity, a person who has led Scranton forward … and a person who I want you to know just gives a damn about this community.”
He recalled her 2019 mayoral campaign mantra, Paige Against the Machine, which she continues to use.
“Do we want someone who’s going to go fight to make sure we’ve got real accountability in this country, to stop the chaos and the cruelty and the corruption? Or do we just want another rubber stamp for the guy in charge down there?” Shapiro questioned. “She is unbought, and she is unafraid, and she is someone who will go to Washington, D.C., always looking out for you.”
Path to Wyoming
Cognetti, who faced no opposition in the Democratic nomination for the 8th Congressional District, secured the nomination in the primary election on Tuesday. Her Republican counterpart, U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, also ran unopposed.
Both Shapiro and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the Republican nominee for governor, were unchallenged in their respective primary races.
Shapiro’s Influence
Although Cognetti has a strong voter base in Scranton, she lacks experience beyond the city. Shapiro, however, has proven his ability to attract voters across the state.
Shapiro has been successful in Luzerne County, a region where few Democrats have thrived since Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential victory. He narrowly lost the county in his 2016 attorney general race and won it in 2020 during his re-election. In 2022, he defeated state Sen. Doug Mastriano there on his way to the governor’s office. By 2024, the county leaned Republican in voter registration.
Shapiro’s endorsement was pivotal in Jim Haddock’s 2022 victory for a state representative seat in a Luzerne House district. Additionally, three Democrats endorsed by Shapiro won in competitive congressional races on Tuesday.
Cognetti Critiques Bresnahan
After Shapiro’s remarks, Cognetti criticized Bresnahan, pointing out his stock trading activities and his support for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which analysts claim will significantly reduce Medicaid funding next year.
“Rob Bresnahan has accelerated our pain in a way that is unfathomable,” she stated. “Rob Bresnahan is in Congress to make money for himself. He is not there for us.”
Bresnahan’s Response
Protesters, organized by Bresnahan’s campaign, gathered outside before Shapiro’s arrival, displaying signs like, “Paige is for the Machine.” The Bresnahan campaign released a statement questioning Cognetti’s anti-establishment claims.
“How can Cognetti claim to be an outsider as she embraces one of Pennsylvania’s highest profile Democrat insiders, allowing him to bolster her candidacy?” the statement read. “If Cognetti is so anti-establishment, will she reject the support of the Democrat party leaders and their allies in one of the most competitive races in the country?”
The event at the restaurant, attended by dedicated Democratic supporters, was labeled “super-secret” by the Bresnahan campaign. It marked Cognetti’s second significant public event in Luzerne in recent months. End Citizens United hosted her and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona at a town hall on April 18 at Luzerne County Community College.
Like Shapiro, Kelly is considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2028.
The race between Bresnahan and Cognetti is anticipated to be among the most competitive and costly in the nation as both parties vie for control of the U.S. House.
