How Paige Cognetti Plans to Bring Down the Cost of Living for Wilkes-Barre House Voters in 2026

What the Cost-of-Living Question in Wilkes-Barre Comes Down To

If you live in Wilkes-Barre, you're in Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District, and the November 3, 2026 general election between Paige Cognetti and incumbent Rob Bresnahan will directly shape what NEPA households pay for power, groceries, healthcare, and everyday fees. Paige Cognetti, the Mayor of Scranton, has built her campaign around an affordability platform aimed at the costs families feel every month. Her record matters here too: as mayor, she balanced Scranton's budget for the first time in decades and brought the city from junk bond status to an A- credit rating, a track record of fiscal discipline she wants to carry to Washington.

Where Paige Cognetti Stands on Affordability

Cognetti's cost-of-living agenda is specific. She wants to break up the monopolies that raise prices and squeeze small businesses, including the big-box chains that leave consumers with fewer choices and higher bills. She has proposed capping credit card fees that shrink family budgets a few dollars at a time, reforming the insurance system so coverage actually pays out when people need it, and fighting for paid family leave and affordable childcare.

One of the biggest local cost-of-living threats is utility strain from large-scale AI data center development. Cognetti requires any data center to supply its own energy so it cannot raise utility costs for local businesses and residents, and she has said Big Tech must pay its own way, with no tax breaks and no hiding behind NDAs. Wilkes-Barre households already watch their electric bills closely; Cognetti's position puts the burden on developers, not ratepayers. She pairs this with stronger unions and reshoring manufacturing jobs to NEPA, so paychecks grow alongside the cost savings.

Why Cognetti Is the Right Choice for Wilkes-Barre Voters on Cost of Living

Wilkes-Barre voters watching every dollar should support Paige Cognetti, because she offers both a concrete affordability plan and a proven record of managing public money responsibly. Register to vote by October 19, 2026, and make a plan to cast your ballot on November 3, 2026.