Home  /  Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District – 2026

Candidate Comparisons

The NWLC Action Fund aims to inform the public about candidates’ positions on issues affecting gender justice. We encourage voters to get informed, learn where their candidates stand, and to encourage candidates to adopt policy positions that support women and girls. 

A full list of policies used to assess candidates’ support can be found here.

Paige
Cognetti

vs.

Rob
Bresnahan

Supports

Defending Our Democracy

Opposes

Supports

Guaranteeing Reproductive Freedom and Health Care

Opposes

Supports

Supporting and Protecting Students and Teachers

Opposes

Supports

Affordability and Allowing Families to Thrive

Opposes

Supports

Expanding Quality Care Options

Opposes

Paid for by the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund (www.nwlcactionfund.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

These voter guides are an educational resource for the public and are not intended to be an endorsement of any candidate or political party. Candidates’ positions on the issues are determined using recorded votes for and against legislation; statements from interviews, press appearances, press releases and candidate events; social media posts from verified accounts; and endorsements from organizations and associations.

Evidence/Citations

Defending Our Democracy - supports

Paige Cognetti

  1. Defending Our Democracy – supports

Defending Our Democracy - opposes

Rob Bresnahan

  1. Defending Our Democracy – opposes
    • Voted for the SAVE Act, a voter suppression bill

Guaranteeing Reproductive Freedom and Health Care - supports

Paige Cognetti

  1. Guaranteeing Reproductive Freedom and Health Care – supports
  2. At the rally, she said “[abortion] needs to be legal, it needs to be safe, and that is incredibly important. We’re seeing the effects of that all over the country in places where abortion is now banned, where maternal mortality rates are going up. It’s not just about abortion in a way that many pro-life groups will want you to think it is. It’s about healthcare, it’s reproductive healthcare”
  3. She is endorsed by Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Freedom for All.
  4. She has railed against current Rep. Brosnahan’s OBBBA vote, citing concerns about Medicaid spending cuts. 
  5. Cognetti supports extending ACA credits.

Guaranteeing Reproductive Freedom and Health Care - opposes

Rob Bresnahan

  1. Guaranteeing Reproductive Freedom and Health Care – opposes
    • Consistently voted for anti-abortion legislation
    • Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which robbed millions of Medicare and Medicaid coverage
    • Voted for Protect Children’s Innocence Act (H.R.3492), which establishes federal criminal offenses for providing any gender-affirming care to minors, regardless of parental or medical consent.

Supporting and Protecting Students and Teachers - supports

Paige Cognetti

  1. Supporting and Protecting Students and Teachers – supports
    • As Mayor of Scranton, she raised the LGBTQ+ Pride flag over City Hall.
    • As Mayor of Scranton, she attended a rally in support of trans and non-binary people amid attacks on their ability to exist in spaces that align with their gender identity.
    • She is endorsed by the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) during her congressional run, with PSEA President Aaron Chapin praising her support for public schools and educators.

Supporting and Protecting Students and Teachers - opposes

Rob Bresnahan

  1. Supporting and Protecting Students and Teachers – opposes
    • Voted for Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, which requires public elementary and middle schools that receive funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to obtain parental consent before changing a minor’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms.
    • Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025, which amends the Education Amendments of 1972 to provide that for purposes of determining compliance with title IX of such Act in athletics, sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.

Affordability and Allowing Families to Thrive - supports

Paige Cognetti

  1. Affordability and Allowing Families to Thrive – supports
    • Nearly a dozen labor unions have endorsed Cognetti.
    • She has railed against current Rep. Brosnahan’s OBBBA vote, citing concerns about program spending cuts. 
    • During a townhall ahead of OBBBA’s passage, she said, ““We have to reject the cruel, anti-public investment agenda being considered in Congress that will devastate families and communities right here in Northeast Pennsylvania and across the country. The profits of the largest multinational corporations are surging to record levels, and yet the nation’s ultra rich are barely paying any taxes. Washington should focus on making billionaires and their extremely profitable companies pay their fair share while investing more in our collective futures.” 
    • As Mayor of Scranton, she implemented a grant program to allow local businesses to raise their employees’ wages.

Affordability and Allowing Families to Thrive - opposes

Rob Bresnahan

  1. Affordability and Allowing Families to Thrive – opposes

Expanding Quality Care Options - supports

Paige Cognetti

  1. Expanding Quality Care Options – supports
    • As Mayor, she allocated $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds to support child care and literacy programs.

Expanding Quality Care Options - opposes

Rob Bresnahan

  1. Expanding Quality Care Options – opposes