For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, The Next 50, the leading organization identifying and nurturing the next generation of leadership on the center left, announced its endorsement of Mayor Paige Cognetti of Scranton, PA for Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District. The Next 50 previously endorsed Cognetti in her reelection campaign for Mayor of Scranton, PA.

“We’re proud to endorse Scranton mayor Paige Cognetti in her run for the U.S. House in Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District,” said Mari Manoogian, Executive Director of The Next 50. “Mayor Cognetti exemplifies exactly what we look for—a principled, pragmatic, energetic, and focused leader who has a proven track record of delivering real results for her community. She transformed Scranton through strategic governance and fiscal responsibility, leading the city out of three decades of financial distress while strengthening public safety and driving economic development. This is the kind of transformational leadership the Democratic Party needs to find our way out of the wilderness, win elections, and deliver for working families, and Mayor Cognetti is leading that charge.”

“I’m grateful for the support of The Next 50 and honored by the confidence they’ve placed in me and the work we’re doing in Scranton,” said Mayor Paige Cognetti of Scranton, PA. “We will continue to build on what we’ve done in Scranton to deliver for all families in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

About Paige Cognetti

Paige Cognetti lives in Scranton with her husband and two daughters. Prior to her tenure as Mayor, Paige served on the Scranton School Board in 2017 and as a special assistant to the Pennsylvania Auditor General in 2018 where she worked to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in government.

In 2019, Paige ran for mayor of Scranton as an Independent, taking on the local political establishment in a campaign that was referred to as “Paige Against The Machine.” Paige chose to run as an Independent after the then-mayor resigned after pleading guilty to federal bribery, conspiracy and extortion charges. Paige stunned Scranton’s political establishment when she won thanks to her promise to clean up the corruption in Scranton. Paige was the first woman ever elected Scranton Mayor, and was eight months pregnant when she won. Paige ran for reelection as a Democrat in 2021, winning a full term with over 71% of the vote and beating the Machine again. She beat the longtime local Democratic boss with 76% of the vote in the Democratic Primary in May of 2025.

As Mayor of Scranton, Paige has made government reform a top priority. In office she has:

• Turned down the city government car and gas card
• Eliminated cash payments and took on no bid contracts
• Took on utilities and fought big businesses gouging consumers
• Held more than 100 public events across every neighborhood in the city
• Cut red tape, slashing building permit fees
• Led the city’s credit rating to investment-grade status
• Saved millions for taxpayers by refinancing bonds

Paige has reinvigorated the city’s finances and helped attract new businesses while simultaneously laying a solid foundation for a brighter future — restoring confidence through responsible government and reimagining outdated ways of doing business.

Paige is running for Congress to clean up corruption in Washington and give the people of NEPA a Congresswoman who will work just as hard as they do.

For more on Paige’s campaign, go to PaigeforPA.com.