The Gist
Home

Federal

U.S. Representative, 8th Congressional District

Vote for
1
Term
2 years
Candidates
2
Election
Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A member of the U.S. House of Representatives votes on federal laws, taxes and spending on behalf of the district.

All of Pike, Wayne and Lackawanna counties and most of Luzerne and Monroe counties.

Taxes & budget

  • Paige CognettiDemocratic

    • Calls for a mandatory independent audit of every federal agency and a 'No Budget, No Pay' rule for Congress.
  • Rob Bresnahan, Jr.Republican

    • Calls for cutting spending and taxes; voted for the 2025 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' tax law.

Public safety

  • Paige CognettiDemocratic

    No documented position found.

  • Rob Bresnahan, Jr.Republican

    • Voted for the Secure America Act funding ICE and CBP through September 2029; calls for securing the border.

Economy & jobs

  • Paige CognettiDemocratic

    • Opposes broad tariffs, favoring targeted tariffs; calls for reshoring manufacturing, including defense work in NEPA.
    • Supports making it easier to join and form unions; backs the PRO Act, per Spotlight PA.
  • Rob Bresnahan, Jr.Republican

    • Cosponsored the Protect America's Workforce Act to restore collective bargaining rights for federal workers.In office

Roads & infrastructure

  • Paige CognettiDemocratic

    • Calls for simpler permitting and faster infrastructure projects, from safe streets to bridges to passenger rail.
  • Rob Bresnahan, Jr.Republican

    No documented position found.

Environment & parks

  • Paige CognettiDemocratic

    • Says no current NEPA data center project should proceed; wants sites limited to brownfields, away from homes and parks.
  • Rob Bresnahan, Jr.Republican

    • Supported reversing the federal Chesapeake Bay stormwater mandate behind Luzerne County's 'Rain Tax' fees.In office

Health & human services

  • Paige CognettiDemocratic

    • Calls for stopping insurance middlemen from denying prescribed care and supports restoring ACA tax credits.
  • Rob Bresnahan, Jr.Republican

    • Opposes raising the retirement age or cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits.
    • Voted to extend enhanced ACA premium tax credits; introduced a bill capping insulin costs at $35 a month.In office

Government & transparency

  • Paige CognettiDemocratic

    • Says she owns no individual stocks and, if elected, would not buy or trade them.
    • Proposes legislation to ban corporate PAC donations to federal campaigns.
  • Rob Bresnahan, Jr.Republican

    • Voted for and cosponsored the Stop Insider Trading Act, barring members of Congress from buying individual stocks.In office
    • Introduced the Local Control Protection Act to shield towns that deny data centers from developer lawsuits.In office

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 7 issues covered in this race.