Paige Cognetti

Paige Cognetti
Cognetti in 2022
36th Mayor of Scranton
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 6, 2020
Preceded byWayne Evans (acting)
Personal details
Born (1980-08-27) August 27, 1980
Eugene, Oregon, U.S.
PartyDemocratic (before 2019, 2021–present)
Independent (2019–2021)
SpouseRyan Cognetti
Children2
EducationUniversity of Oregon (BA)
Harvard University (MBA)

Paige Cognetti (née Gebhardt; born August 27, 1980)[1] is an American politician serving since 2020 as mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania. She is the first woman to be mayor of the city and won her seat in a special election.[2][3] A member of the Democratic Party, she ran her first Scranton mayoral campaign as an Independent. She is the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district in 2026.[4]

Early life and career

Cognetti was born in Eugene, Oregon. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and Romance languages, and earned a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

After graduating, she worked as an English teacher in Japan through the JET Programme.[5] She was a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's and Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaigns and served as an advisor at the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Obama's first term.[6][7]

Cognetti was appointed to the Scranton School Board in 2017,[8] but resigned in December 2018 to become a special assistant to Pennsylvania's state auditor, Eugene DePasquale.[9] While serving on the board, she criticized no-bid school bus contracts and unapproved payments to contractors.[10]

Mayor of Scranton

Elections

Cognetti ran in the 2019 special election to finish the term of Scranton mayor Bill Courtright, who had pleaded guilty to corruption charges earlier that year.[11] She ran as an independent after she deemed the local Democratic Party's closed caucus system undemocratic. Her campaign emphasized investments in local businesses, education, and infrastructure.[12] She won the special election with 36% of the vote.[3]

In 2021, Cognetti ran as a Democrat for a full term and defeated her Republican opponent, 72.5% to 23.4%.[13][14]

Tenure

During Cognetti's tenure as mayor, Scranton completed its exit from Pennsylvania's Act 47 financial distress program and improved its bond rating, allowing the city to reduce reliance on short-term borrowing.[15] Her administration undertook infrastructure and public works projects, including investments in stormwater systems and parks, demolition of hazardous structures, and upgrades to municipal signage.[15]

The city's housing stock expanded, while the administration implemented initiatives to modernize municipal operations and improve service efficiency.[16] Downtown redevelopment also continued during this period, accompanied by increased construction activity across the city.[16]

In 2024, President Joe Biden appointed Cognetti to the United States Trade Representative's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.[17]

2026 U.S. House campaign

On September 2, 2025, Cognetti announced her candidacy for Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district in 2026, aiming to unseat Republican incumbent Representative Rob Bresnahan.[18][19]

Personal life

She is married to Ryan Cognetti and has two children.[13][20]

Electoral history

2019 Scranton mayoral special election[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Paige Cognetti 5,849 36.52%
Independent Kyle Donahue 3,588 22.40%
Democratic Chris Cullen 2,567 16.03%
Republican Charlie Spano 2,468 15.41%
Independent Giovanni Piccolino 699 4.36%
Independent Gary St. Fleur 384 2.40%
Independent John Goshleski 76 0.47%
Write-in 387 2.42%
Total votes 16,018 100.00%
2021 Scranton mayoral Democratic primary election[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paige Cognetti (incumbent) 7,870 71.36%
Democratic John Murray 3,119 28.28%
Write-in 39 0.35%
Total votes 11,028 100.00%
2021 Scranton mayoral election[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paige Cognetti (incumbent) 9,851 72.51%
Republican Darwin Lee Shaw II 3,175 23.37%
Write-in 79 0.58%
Total votes 13,585 100.00%
2025 Scranton mayoral Democratic primary election[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paige Cognetti (incumbent) 6,271 75.52
Democratic Bob Sheridan 1,865 22.46
Write-in 168 2.02
Total votes 8,304 100.00

References

  1. ↑ "Cognetti becomes Scranton's first female mayor". November 6, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Scranton became shorthand for the past. Its reality is far more complicated". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Cole, Devan (November 6, 2019). "First woman elected mayor of Scranton, as an independent after sparring with Democratic machine". CNN. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Cognetti campaign opens office in Scranton". Scranton Times-Tribune. June 15, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  5. ↑ Cognetti, Paige. "Cognetti's LinkedIn profile". LinkedIn. Microsoft. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mayor of Scranton to Deliver Johnson College's 2020 Commencement Address". Johnson College of Technology. March 11, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Now the mayor of Scranton, PA, Paige Gebhardt Cognetti's passion for equity inspired by her time in CHC". Clark Honors College. June 9, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  8. ↑ Buynovsky, Sarah (November 5, 2019). "Paige Cognetti Named First Female Mayor of Scranton". WNEP-TV. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Cognetti Resigns From Scranton School Board To Work For State Auditor General". AP NEWS. December 12, 2018. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Scranton School Board To Ask District Attorney To Investigate Mechanic Insurance". AP NEWS. May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  11. ↑ Lange, Stacy (January 6, 2020). "Paige Cognetti Sworn In as Scranton's First Female Mayor". WNEP-TV. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Scranton Mayor-Elect Paige Cognetti offers an object lesson for Philly politics". The Philadelphia Citizen. November 15, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  13. 1 2 Lange, Stacy (November 3, 2021). "Mayor Paige Cognetti has declared victory in Scranton". WNEP-TV. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  14. ↑ "2021GeneralSummary_Certified.pdf" (PDF). Lackawanna County, PA. December 3, 2021. p. 22. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "'Unlock the future': Cognetti touts achievements in optimistic state of the city address". Scranton Times-Tribune. March 25, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  16. 1 2 Culkin, Jack (April 22, 2026). "Mayor Cognetti highlights Scranton's revival, goals in State of the City address". ABC WNEP (Channel 16). Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  17. ↑ "President Biden appoints Scranton Mayor Cognetti as a member of the Advisory Committee". WNEP-TV. February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  18. ↑ Svirnovskiy, Gregory (September 2, 2025). "Scranton mayor launches House campaign, goes after Rob Bresnahan's stock trades". Politico. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  19. ↑ Terruso, Julia (September 2, 2025). "Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti launches run for Congress, blasting Rep. Rob Bresnahan's stock trading". Inquirer.com. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  20. ↑ "About the Mayor". ScrantonPa.gov. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  21. ↑ "EL45.pdf" (PDF). Lackawanna County, PA. March 9, 2022. p. 8. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Summary Results Report MUNICIPAL ELECTION May 18, 2021 CERTIFIED RESULTS Lackawanna County" (PDF). Lackawanna County, PA. June 3, 2021. p. 30. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  23. ↑ "2021GeneralSummary_Certified.pdf" (PDF). Lackawanna County, PA. December 3, 2021. p. 22. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Summary Results Report PRIMARY ELECTION May 20, 2025" (PDF). Lackawanna County, PA. June 6, 2025. p. 19. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
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