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Democrat Paige Cognetti wins election to U.S. House in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District
Paige Cognetti, the Democratic mayor of Scranton, won election to the US House in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, defeating Republican incumbent Rob Bresnahan. Her victory means Bresnahan will not serve a second term, and brings an independent-minded, anti-corruption campaigner from local government to Congress.
The Associated Press called the race for Cognetti at 10.41 pm EST on Tuesday. She campaigned on her record as Scranton’s mayor and her focus on fighting corruption; Bresnahan was unable to persuade voters to re-elect him.
In short
- Paige Cognetti won Pennsylvania’s 8th District House race.
- She defeated Republican incumbent Rob Bresnahan.
- The AP called the race at 10.41 pm EST.
Explained simply
Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District elects one representative to the US House, part of the federal government that makes laws and oversees national policy. The district is in north-eastern Pennsylvania and includes Scranton, where Paige Cognetti has served as mayor.
Cognetti is a Democrat, while Rob Bresnahan is a Republican who was elected to the seat before her. Their contest was between a local government leader who made anti-corruption work a focus of her campaign and the sitting member of Congress. The result matters because the district will have a new representative and party voice in the House.