Former U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright will announce he won’t seek re-election Thursday, setting off a search for a suitable Democrat who can defeat Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan next year.
WVIA News learned Cartwright decided against running again from two sources familiar with his decision. The sources spoke only if they were not named. His decision was reported first by Punchbowl News, a Washington, D.C., based online news publication that tracks the federal government.
Repeated efforts to reach the Democratic former congressman were unsuccessful.
The potential Democratic candidates for the 8th Congressional District seat include Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo, state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, who represents part of Lackawanna County, and state Sen. Marty Flynn, who represents parts of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
“Over the past several weeks, as Congressman Cartwright was weighing his decision, he also had several conversations with me, as did several other interested parties,” Lombardo said in a text. “At this point, I am evaluating my situation with consideration to the following: my family, and obviously myself, and where I am at this point in life, the future of the city, which I would hope no one doubts is extremely important to me and also the team that I have put in place in the city.”
Lombardo said he will spend about a week having “some additional discussions, including discussions with others who potentially could be running for this seat.”
In a text, Kosierowski, a representative since April 2019, did not rule out the possibility of running, but did not directly say she is considering a bid either.
“As both a nurse and a state representative, I share the deep frustration so many in (the district) are feeling about what’s happening at the federal level,” she said. “Congressman Cartwright has been a strong advocate for this region, and I’m grateful for his service. Right now, I’m focused on continuing to deliver for the people I represent, and as things evolve, I’ll keep listening and considering where I can make the greatest impact.”
Efforts to reach Flynn were unsuccessful.
Cartwright lost to Bresnahan
Last year, Cartwright, who served six two-year terms, lost to Bresnahan by 6,252 votes, or 1.62 percentage points, as President Donald Trump won Pennsylvania for a second time.
Because of the 2024 race’s closeness and because the district still has more registered Democratic voters than Republicans, the seat is again shaping up as one of the top battlegrounds among congressional races nationwide.
Bresnahan’s victory in a district that includes Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Nanticoke and Pittston, and Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s in the 7th district encompassing the Lehigh Valley allowed Republicans to begin the current Congress with a five-seat majority in the House.
8th could decide House control
Democrats see Bresnahan’s and Mackenzie’s seats among four competitive Pennsylvania seats that could help them regain control of the U.S. House. Republicans have a 220-212 majority in the House with three seats vacant because a Democratic member died.
Assuming Democrats win the vacant seats, the party would have to flip three Republican-held seats to gain a one-vote majority in the House that takes office Jan. 3, 2027.
Democratic-affiliated groups began targeting Bresnahan for defeat less than a month after he took office. They have sharpened their attacks since Bresnahan voted two weeks ago for President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Democrats argue will sharply cut Medicaid.
Bresnahan says the bill only contains a work requirement and cuts off Medicaid to people in the United States illegally.
Bresnahan is piling up money
So far, only Bresnahan has declared he will run in 2026 by filing a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. His campaign committee reported he raised $832,775.64 in the first quarter of this year and ended the quarter with $715,273.36 in cash on hand.
The competitiveness of the race will make it expensive to run.
Bresnahan’s and Cartwright’s campaign committees and outside groups on both sides spent more than more than $31.4 million on the 8th district race in 2024, according to OpenSecrets, a non-partisan, non-profit that tracks congressional campaign finances.
Cartwright after Congress
Since leaving office Jan. 3, Cartwright has joined the faculty as a professor of international affairs at his alma mater, Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. He has also said he might practice law again.
In January, the Lackawanna County commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Cartwright to the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority board. The authority is one of the key players in efforts to revive a Scranton-to-New York City passenger train.
As a congressman, Cartwright emerged as one of the project’s chief champions.
Bresnahan has also begun advocating for the train, and he and Cartwright have discussed it.
