Paige Cognetti’s record in Scranton — from short residency and national ties to budget cuts and changes to maternity leave — is now central to the debate as she runs for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District.
Paige Cognetti, the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, has drawn fire for choices made during her time on the Scranton school board and as mayor. In March she was photographed leaving a local event in a car with D.C. plates, prompting locals to label her a ‘carpetbagger’ who ‘doesn’t reflect the region.’ Those optics feed a larger argument that her priorities have been political first, local families second.
Cognetti did not grow up in Scranton; she’s originally from Oregon and her résumé includes working on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and a post at the U.S. Treasury under President Obama. She did not take up residence in Scranton until 2017 and has said that “politics” were what brought her to the city. Voters still remember that she won the mayor’s office in 2019 after a relatively brief time in town.
Her record on education is already a political liability. In 2017 she voted for a city budget that cut 89 teachers from Scranton schools while still increasing taxes, a move the local teachers’ union protested. That budget vote coincided with a reported $4 million deficit, and parents and educators say the cuts eroded classroom stability when the city could least afford it.
Labor deals reached during her administration have also shifted benefits for municipal employees in ways critics say hurt families. Before the changes, city workers had guaranteed 12 weeks of paid maternity leave; contracts negotiated during her time in office changed that guarantee for newer hires. Under the revised terms, employees hired after Jan. 1, 2021, were required to take unpaid leave for childbirth while longer-tenured workers kept paid leave access.
“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.”
That statement from Cognetti defending the agreement has done little to quell criticism from those who see the change as a rollback of support for new working mothers. Opponents argue the policy shift contradicts the Democrats’ usual rhetoric about backing women and families, and it has become a sharp talking point in a district that prizes steady family-support policies.
Local critics also point to taxes and staffing as proof that Cognetti’s leadership made life tougher for Scranton families. They say raising taxes while cutting classroom staff is the wrong trade-off for a city still recovering economically. Those voters are asking whether a candidate who pursued those choices at the municipal level should be entrusted with a seat in Congress.
“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.
That blunt critique from the NRCC captures what Republicans are pushing hard: that Cognetti’s record is a preview of what she would deliver in Washington. The broader fight in Pennsylvania’s 8th is shaping up as a referendum not just on one candidate but on whether national Democrats’ policies match the priorities of local families.
As the campaign unfolds, voters will sort through her past votes, staffing decisions, and public statements to decide if her approach lines up with their expectations for representation. For now, her record in Scranton — cuts to teachers, tax increases, and altered maternity leave protections — remains the central ammunition for opponents and a key concern for the families who live there.
