Paige Cognetti Has a History of Harming Scranton Families, and She'd Do the Same in Congress

Paige Cognetti, the Democratic Party nominee for Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District, has a long history of putting her political ambitions ahead of her constituents' needs. In March, she was caught being whisked away from a meet-and-greet event in a car with D.C. plates, and residents called her a 'carpetbagger' who 'doesn't reflect the region.'

Originally from Oregon, Cognetti worked for Hillary Clinton's failed 2008 presidential campaign 

 

and was appointed by Obama to the Treasury Department. She didn't live in Scranton until 2017, and admitted 'politics' brought her to the city. She was elected mayor in 2019. Prior to that, Cognetti served on Scranton's school board.

Despite her short tenure in Scranton, one thing is clear: her tenure has been bad for Scranton families.

In 2017, Cognetti voted for a city budget that cut 89 teachers from Scranton schools while still raising taxes on hardworking families. That budget was also protested by the Scranton teachers' union, yet it still resulted in a $4 million deficit.

But it gets even worse. Just this year — and despite the Democrats' assertion they support women — Cognetti slashed paid maternity leave for City of Scranton employees. 

Here's more on that:

A new 2026 labor agreement in Scranton is putting Democratic Mayor Paige Cognetti’s record on maternity leave under fresh scrutiny as she challenges Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, one of the country’s most competitive House races.

The agreement has renewed attention on how maternity leave and other benefits have shifted under contracts negotiated during Cognetti’s tenure, particularly for newer city employees.

Before those changes, city workers were guaranteed 12 weeks of paid maternity leave. But agreements reached under Cognetti altered that policy for new hires, requiring employees hired after Jan. 1, 2021, to take unpaid leave for childbirth, while only longer-tenured workers retained access to paid leave.

Cognetti defended the latest agreement, saying, “All City of Scranton employees deserve fair pay, excellent healthcare, retirement savings, safe working conditions, and opportunity paths to make a career out of public service,” adding that the deal ensures the city can deliver “excellent daily services and immediate emergency response” without “driving up costs for our taxpayers.”

This race is poised to be one of the highest-profile contests in the country, and voters in Pennsylvania deserve to know about Cognetti's record both on the Scranton School Board and as Mayor.

She's fired teachers, raised taxes, and even taken away maternity leave for city employees. All of this contradicts the promises Cognetti made to families that she would help them "afford to live and be able to feel confident that there is opportunity for themselves and their kids."

"Political opportunist Paige Cognetti has been a disaster for Scranton families by raising taxes, firing teachers, and slashing maternity leave. Voters know when Cognetti's in office, life gets worse," said NRCC Spokesman Reilly Richardson.

Scranton families deserve better, and so do American families.

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.