Pennsylvania Republican congressman Rob Bresnahan is facing scrutiny after a 2023 video resurfaced showing him trying on hot-pink stiletto heels for a charity race, just as his campaign faces backlash over an attack advert targeting his Democratic rival. The footage, taken ahead of the Paint Pittston Pink Gentlemen's Dash, a fundraiser for cancer research in which men run in high heels, has emerged amid an increasingly bitter and personal contest in Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District. The row centres on a campaign advert from Bresnahan's team and the National Republican Congressional Committee that features Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti alongside drag performer Lady Lydia, accusing Cognetti of backing policies to let men into girls' bathrooms and women's sport, despite no public evidence she has made such claims.

The photograph used in the advert was taken at a 2025 Pride flag-raising event at Scranton City Hall. Lady Lydia, also known as Frank Carey, has launched a GoFundMe campaign, raising nearly $3,000, to fund legal action to have the advert removed, arguing it uses her likeness without permission and unfairly singles her out. Republicans have refused to back down, with an NRCC spokesman pointing to photos of children at the Pride event and highlighting an alternative online name used by Carey, while accusing Cognetti of enlisting "left-wing buddies" to shield her from scrutiny.