(The Center Square) – No congressional candidate in Pennsylvania raised more than Democrat Paige Cognetti’s campaign in April, according to campaign finance reports released last week.
Cognetti, the mayor of Scranton who is running for the Democratic Party nod for the 8th Congressional District, raised just under $495,000 from the beginning of the month through April 29. U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, the GOP freshman lawmaker who she is attempting to unseat, raised just under $315,000 during that same time period.
The race for the 8th Congressional District is shaping up to be an expensive one.
Since launching her candidacy in early September, Cognetti’s campaign has raised $3.1 million. Bresnahan, who was elected to the U.S. House in 2024 after defeating incumbent Democratic Congressman Matt Cartwright, has raised $4.61 million to date in the election cycle.
However, Cognetti has outpaced Bresnahan in the first four months of the year.
Cognetti’s campaign has raised $1.95 million from the beginning of January through April 29, while Bresnahan’s campaign has brought in $1.52 million.
The only congressional candidate in Pennsylvania who has raised more than Cognetti so far in 2026 is fellow Democrat Janelle Stelson, a former television anchor running for her party’s nomination for the 10th U.S. House District. Stelson’s campaign has raised $2.49 million in the first four months of 2026.
Bresnahan’s campaign, raising $1.52 million from the beginning of January to April 29, is the second highest among Republicans and incumbents running for office in Pennsylvania, only narrowly trailing U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-10th District, during that time period. Bresnahan’s 2026 haul, so far, places him fourth overall, trailing Stelson, Cognetti, and Perry.
The latest filing was the final campaign finance report released prior to next week’s primary election. However, both are expected to face off in the fall, since they are the only candidates who have filed to run for the seat in northeast Pennsylvania.
Bresnahan maintains a slight cash-on-hand advantage in the race as the primary election approaches, although Cognetti continues to narrow the gap.
As of April 30, Bresnahan’s campaign had $2.27 million on hand, while Cognetti’s campaign carried $2.25 million one day before the beginning of May.
At a similar point in the previous campaign cycle, Cartwright, the incumbent, held a much larger cash-on-hand advantage. In April 2024, Cartwright’s campaign had $3.15 million on hand, while Bresnahan’s campaign had just under $835,000.
Bresnahan’s campaign has outspent Cognetti’s last month. From the beginning of April until the 29th of the same month, his campaign spent $255,000, while her campaign spent just under $170,000. Since the beginning of 2026, Bresnahan’s campaign has spent $685,000, while Cognetti’s has spent just over $510,000.
The next fundraising quarter will close on June 30, with July 15 serving as the filing deadline for candidates.
As Republicans hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House, Democrats are attempting to flip multiple seats in Pennsylvania, including the 8th Congressional District.
National ratings outlets are expecting the race in the fall to be a close one.
The Cook Political Report describes the race for the seat as a “toss up.”
