If it seems like every other television commercial these days mentions Paige Cognetti or Rob Bresnahan, there’s a good reason.
The candidates and outside groups had bought about $28 million worth of advertising in the 8th Congressional District race as of Oct. 12, according to a tracking company’s latest report.
The spending on the contest between first-term Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a Republican, and Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat, ranked ninth nationwide among 21 House races considered tossups by the Cook Political Report, according to the publicly available report by AdImpact.
AdImpact tracks ad spending in federal election races. Cook ranks the competitiveness of House and Senate races.
Cognetti and groups supporting her or opposing Bresnahan had spent about $10.3 million and reserved commercial time of about $5 million more, a total of about $15.3 million.
Bresnahan and groups supporting him or opposing Cognetti had spent about $9.3 million and reserved about $3.4 million, a total of about $12.7 million.
Cognetti joked about the omnipresent TV commercials during a Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce forum she and Bresnahan took part in Friday.
"I guarantee you (that) in ... 11 days, you won't have to see my face on your screen and your television screen every single day. We're all looking forward to that," she said.
The numbers have likely risen since Oct. 12 because the candidates reported greater expenses and fundraising on Oct. 14 campaign finance reports than reports filed through Sept. 30.
A further breakdown of which groups have spent and how much was not immediately available, but campaign finance records make it clear the candidates contributed only part of the advertising spending.
Candidates raised big bucks
Both candidates have raised millions of dollars, but Cognetti has raised substantially more since the latest House election cycle began Jan. 1, 2025. She also raised more in less time.
As of Oct. 14, Cognetti had raised $7,502,359, spent $7,258,687 and had $243,672 left, according to Federal Election Commission records. Her campaign finance committee only formed on Sept. 2, 2025.
“I’m honored by the support we are earning across NEPA, and I’m proud to be running this race without taking a dime from corporate PACs,” Cognetti said in a statement. “We’re going to keep fighting every day until November 3rd so we can shake up a broken Washington, pass real anti-corruption reforms, lower health care costs, end this reckless war in Iran, stand up to shady data center developers, and stop the irresponsible tariffs driving up our costs. We deserve a government that works as hard as the people it serves.”
Bresnahan had raised $6,519,139 since Jan. 1, 2025, spent $5,839,568 and had $732,724 left, according to the FEC records.
“Paige Cognetti and the Democrat Machine are spending millions to distort Congressman Bresnahan’s record. Our nearly $1 million haul this quarter means we’ll have the resources to highlight the work he’s done and set the record straight to help him keep fighting for Northeastern Pennsylvania” Bresnahan campaign spokesperson Samantha Bullock said in an email.
Cognetti ranks third in Pennsylvania House candidates fundraising and 45th nationwide. Bresnahan ranks fifth among Pennsylvania candidates and 58th nationwide.
The 8th district consists of all of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties; roughly the eastern half of Luzerne County, including Wilkes-Barre, Pittston and Hazleton; and all of Monroe County, except for Polk and Eldred townships and part of Ross Township.
Other races' money
In other congressional races in Northeast or Northcentral Pennsylvania:
- In the 9th Congressional District, Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican serving his fourth two-year term, had raised $2,129,641, spent $2,133,498 and had $29,791 left.
Rachel Wallace, his Democratic opponent, raised $1,145,383, spent $894,624 and had $250,759 left. She only began raising money in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Wallace has far outpaced the fundraising of Amanda Waldman, Meuser’s Democratic opponent in 2022 and 2024. Waldman raised $30,547 in 2022 and $16,956 in 2024.
The 9th includes all of Bradford, Columbia, Lebanon, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties, roughly the western half of Luzerne County and parts of Berks and Lycoming counties. - In the 7th Congressional District, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican, had raised $5,296,664, spent $4,329,911 and had $1,069,993 left.
Bob Brooks, his Democratic opponent, raised $5,347,353, spent $4,605,775 and had $741,579 left.
The 7th includes all of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties and, in Monroe County, all of Eldred and Polk townships and part of Ross Twp. - In the 15th Congressional District, Rep. Glenn Thompson, a Republican, raised $2,152,944, spent $2,240,791 and had $703,946 left. Thompson had a cash balance because of money he raised before Jan. 1, 2025.
Ray Bilger, his Democratic opponent, raised $230,754, spent $141,839 and had $88,914. - The 15th includes all of Armstrong, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Snyder, Tioga, Union and Warren counties and parts of Indiana, Lycoming and Venango counties.
