Bloomberg: Anger Over Stock Trades Puts Pennsylvania House Seat in Play

The blue-and-yellow signs outside Paige Cognetti’s Congressional campaign headquarters drive home her message: “Ban Corporate PAC Money,” “Ban Congressional Stock Trading,” and “Fight Washington Corruption.”

Cognetti, the Democratic mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania, has made “corruption” synonymous with issues top of mind for voters across the country, from the rising cost of living to the proliferation of data centers. She even adopted the slogan “Paige Against the Machine.”

The toss-up US House race between Cognetti and freshman Republican Representative Rob Bresnahan is one both parties are watching for signs of who might win control of Congress — and with it oversight of President Donald Trump’s
administration — next year. Democrats need to flip only a handful of seats to reach a majority. A trio of toss-up races in Pennsylvania could put them over the top.

Mayor since 2020, Cognetti plays a key role in Democrats’ plan. To make her case, Cognetti has hammered Bresnahan over his stock trades while in office.