Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District, centered around Scranton, has become a focal point for debates over congressional stock trading and inflationary pressures on household expenses, reflecting broader national trends. The district, once a Democratic stronghold, shifted Republican in 2024 when Rob Bresnahan unseated a longtime Democratic incumbent.
Bresnahan, now a freshman member of Congress, attracted attention for his extensive stock trading during 2025, despite having campaigned the previous year against such practices. In a recent interview at a campaign event in Hazleton, Bresnahan stated that he considered placing his assets in a blind trust but determined it was impractical. He said that his financial advisers conducted trades without his direct involvement. Since the scrutiny intensified, his personal trading activity has reportedly decreased or ceased altogether.
“The whole message that they’ve been running against me is over my stock trading,” Bresnahan said, denying any personal oversight of trades. His campaign has sought to address concerns amid a wave of allegations about insider trading by members of Congress that have surfaced nationwide.
Bresnahan’s Democratic challenger, Paige Cognetti, Scranton’s mayor, has made congressional stock trading a central issue in her campaign. She has also linked the practice to rising living costs, particularly in relation to grocery prices, which remain a pressing concern for many constituents.
“There is a clear line now between corruption and costs,” Cognetti said in an interview, emphasizing the connection between financial misconduct in Washington and economic pressures on working-class families.
In a recent campaign advertisement filmed in her husband’s grocery store, Cognetti highlighted both soaring prices and stock trading. As she pressed down on a loaf of bread, she accused Congress of “making that bread for themselves” while middle-class families struggle to afford necessities.
The Eighth District has consistently supported former President Donald Trump in all three elections in which he has appeared on the ballot, complicating Democratic efforts to regain ground. In response, Cognetti has positioned herself as an independent-minded Democrat, distancing herself from party insiders with the slogan “Paige Against the Machine.”
Acknowledging voters’ concerns about inflation and affordability, Bresnahan said that he receives frequent calls from family members about grocery prices and that he seeks to demonstrate progress on these issues.
“I’m asking for another chance to continue to move that ball,” he said.
The contest encapsulates the broader challenges facing both parties in appealing to blue-collar voters grappling with economic uncertainty and ethical questions surrounding elected officials’ financial activity.