![\"Democratic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/STT-L-COGNETTI-0710-09.jpg\")
Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania\u2019s 8th congressional district Paige Cognetti is introduced during a press conference at the United Association Local Union 524 in Scranton Thursday, July 9, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG. \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)<\/p>\n
She also considerably outspent her GOP opponent, reporting total disbursements of $4.94 million during the third quarter, when campaign advertising in the Bresnahan\/Cognetti midterm matchup and other races became virtually ubiquitous ahead of the election Nov. 3. Cognetti\u2019s nearly $5 million in recent spending represents the lion\u2019s share of the almost $6.15 million in disbursements she\u2019s reported this cycle.<\/p>\n
Bresnahan, who seeks reelection after winning his House seat in 2024, spent almost $2.67 million during the most recent quarter. That\u2019s close to half of the roughly $5.47 million in total disbursements his campaign reported this election cycle, recent figures show.<\/p>\n
![\"U.S.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HZS-L-bresnahan-1007-16.jpg\")
U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-8, Dallas Twp., talks to supporters during a rally on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026 at DCS Contractin Hazleton. (John Haeger \/ Staff Photographer)<\/p>\n
The two campaigns reported having roughly the same amount of cash on hand at the end of the last reporting period. Cognetti had about $950,343, while Bresnahan had about $909,095.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m honored by the support we are earning across NEPA, and I\u2019m proud to be running this race without taking a dime from corporate PACs,\u201d Cognetti said in a statement Friday. \u201cWe\u2019re going to keep fighting every day until November 3rd so we can shake up a broken Washington, pass real anti-corruption reforms, lower health care costs, end this reckless war in Iran, stand up to shady data center developers, and stop the irresponsible tariffs driving up our costs.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Bresnahan\u2019s campaign did not provide a statement by Friday\u2019s print deadline, campaign spokesperson Samantha Bullock said in a statement later Friday that Cognetti and the \u201cDemocrat Machine are spending millions to distort Congressman Bresnahan\u2019s record.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur nearly $1 million haul this quarter means we\u2019ll have the resources to highlight the work he\u2019s done and set the record straight to help him keep fighting for Northeastern Pennsylvania,\u201d Bullock said.<\/p>\n
Bresnahan\u2019s campaign previously dismissed Cognetti\u2019s claim about not accepting corporate PAC money as a \u201cloophole-ridden sham.\u201d It pointed this past summer to reporting by NOTUS, now The Washington Sun<\/a>, that Cognetti accepted donations from \u201cnumerous political committees that themselves are awash in cash from corporate PACs, including money from defense contractor Boeing, banking giant JPMorgan Chase and insurance company UnitedHealthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n That issue notwithstanding, major race forecasters, including the nonpartisan Cook Political Report<\/a>, continue to list the 8th District race as a highly competitive \u201ctoss up.\u201d And it\u2019s a race that could play a major role in determining the balance of power in Washington as Democrats battle to regain and Republicans fight to maintain control of the House of Representatives for the last two years of the second Trump administration.<\/p>\n Cook shifted the 8th District race from leaning Republican to a toss up in April, and recently shifted a pair of other competitive House races in Pennsylvania in the direction of Democrats. Earlier this month, the race forecaster moved the 7th Congressional District race between incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie and Democratic challenger Bob Brooks, and the 10th Congressional District race between incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry and Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson, from toss ups to leaning Democrat.<\/p>\n The races also have attracted considerable outside spending and attention, with The Philadelphia Inquirer reporting this week<\/a> that billionaire Republican-backer Elon Musk\u2019s America PAC had spent at least $460,000 in recent weeks in each of the 7th, 8th and 10th Congressional districts to support the Republican incumbents. America PAC\u2019s spending supporting Bresnahan and opposing Cognetti<\/a> in the district that includes all of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties constitutes \u201cindependent expenditures\u201d \u2014 not direct campaign contributions that would appear in a candidate\u2019s quarterly campaign finance filings \u2014 funding mailers, digital media and similar communications, a review of the expenditures found.<\/p>\n An independent expenditure is an \u201cexpenditure for a communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate and which is not made in coordination with any candidate or their campaign or political party,\u201d according to the Federal Election Commission. Independent expenditures aren\u2019t subject to amount limitations, and campaigns benefiting from them have no reporting obligation, per the FEC.<\/p>\n