Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti cruised to re-election over three challengers in the election Tuesday, despite already announcing she will run for Congress next year.
With all 48 precincts reporting, Cognetti, a Democrat, had 9,701votes; Republican Trish Beynon, 3,589; former City Councilman Gene Barrett, 3,553; and Frederick “Rik” Little, 154.
Cognetti wins, but loses her voice
Just after 9:30 p.m., Cognetti descended a spiral staircase at Bukatini at Posh, across the street from City Hall, to celebrate with supporters. In a hoarse voice, Cognetti said residents like a city government that runs well.
“I stood here six years ago, my now almost six-year-old was still in my belly when we first won our first campaign,” Cognetti said. “It is an honor every single moment to be mayor of Scranton, but tonight, it is especially overwhelming to have earned and kept your trust for six years to go on to this next phase where we will continue to make Scranton the city that it always should have been and now is.”
She touted the city’s reconstruction of public pools, its improved finances and burgeoning businesses under her leadership. Cognetti credited members of her administration for expertise, ability, grit and determination.
Cognetti faces new council
Cognetti will have two new City Council members to work with, Sean McAndrew and Patrick Flynn. They and incumbent Councilman Tom Schuster, all Democrats, swept the three council seats, ousting incumbent Gerald Smurl in the process.
The mayor said she looks forward to getting to know Flynn and McAndrew, a school director who will join his uncle Mark McAndrew on the council. Mark McAndrew and Schuster are frequent critics of the mayor.
“We have a great record, and I would hope that our new council will want to participate in that and help us do even better,” Cognetti said.
Cognetti, who wants to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan next year, said she will work hard as mayor for as long as she has the job.
“As we go into the Congressional year, I'll continue to be mayor every single day. I'll continue to work at City Hall, as we do, and continue to do great things there, continue to be a mom to my two kids, and we'll also be running for Congress,” she said.
Cognetti won her third municipal election in a row by a large margin. She won a 2019 special election to become the city's first female mayor, then won re-election in 2023.
Winning re-election by a large margin again means avoiding embarrassing questions about her viability as a congressional candidate after a weak mayoral election performance.
Beynon to stay involved
At the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center, Beynon thanked supporters shortly after 9:30 p.m. A first-time political candidate, she said the experience inspired her to stay involved in politics and community organizations. Beynon spent the day visiting polling locations across the city, and said she heard the same concerns she had during months of campaigning.
“I learned a lot about the people in the city of Scranton, and I think a lot of them need more support from our mayor than they're getting right now,” she said. “I'm hoping that it opened up their eyes and their understanding that we really do need a lot of change in the city of Scranton. It shouldn't be the same old, same old with the Democrats, or whatever party. It should be people first, because if you're a mayor, you're supposed to work for the people of Scranton.”
Beynon said the mayor’s should prioritize serving the city, not running for Congress.
“She shouldn't be using us as a steppingstone to move on to her next political aspiration,” Beynon said. “That is a shame, and it's a shame that the people of the city of Scranton, even with that, are still deciding to vote the way they vote.”
Barrett, scheduled to join supporters at Cooper's Seafood House, did not appear. Efforts to reach him later were unsuccessful.
The challengers tried to turn Cognetti’s announced bid for the 8th Congressional District seat in 2026 into a liability.
Beynon and Barrett also focused their campaigns on promises to better pave streets, eliminate blight and control crime. Both claimed crime was up during Cognetti’s six years as mayor, but criticized her announced plans for Congress.
“I'm here to be your mayor,” Barrett said when the candidates debated Oct. 16 at the University of Scranton. “I'm not trying to propel myself to a higher position in government.”
“I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for the next four years to do the best job I can for everybody,” Beynon said during the debate.
Cognetti reminded voters she replaced a mayor, Bill Courtright, who went to prison on corruption charges, arguing she has run a highly ethical City Hall centered on serving all city residents instead of the favored few.
Scranton, she said, was on the rise because of her modernization of City Hall processes, upgrades to city parks and investment in police and firefighting equipment.
“The people that are on the stage with me tonight would take us right back to where we were,” she said. “If I am elected to Congress in 2026, I will make damn sure that in 2027 there is someone sitting here on this debate stage that I can pass the torch to to continue to make progress.”
