Paige Cognetti

Democrat

Mayor of Scranton, PA

Non-Incumbent · Public Record

R2B

PIP Political Integrity Pledge · Political Integrity PAC

No Corporate PAC Money
Stock Trading Ban
Lobbying Ban for Former Members
Overturn Citizens United

Primary: May 2026 Last updated 2026-04-28

79.3%

+0.5 from Political Integrity Pledge

Top positive drivers

T14 Rooting out waste, fraud, abuse. Eliminated cash payments, 5-year fiscal forecast, $155M grants with accountability. 4/4
T20 Federal audit to cut waste with precise measures. Whistleblower hotline, ended cash payments, rooted out nepotism, $155M with oversight. 4/4
T23 Established whistleblower hotline (Dec 2020) operated by Lighthouse Services, 24/7 toll-free and online access. 4/4

Top negative drivers

T15 No public statements on AI transparency or technology use transparency. 0/4
T17 Has addressed immigration broadly but no concrete mechanism for system transparency. 1/4

View all 25 criteria

T1 Town halls, State of City addresses, neighborhood policing walk-alongs, anti-corruption town hall with Sen. Kelly (100+ attendees). 3.75/4
T2 Owns no individual stocks; eliminated cash payments as mayor; adopted 5-year fiscal forecast. 2.88/4
T3 Central campaign plank: ban congressional stock trading. Owns no individual stocks. 3.75/4
T4 Rejects corporate PAC money (FEC-verified). End Citizens United town hall partner. 87% individual contributions. 3.75/4
T5 FEC data publicly available. $2.27M individual, $339K unitemized small-dollar. No proactive tools beyond FEC. 2.88/4
T6 Campaign priorities page; anti-corruption town halls; media interviews (NYT, WHYY, local outlets). 2.88/4
T7 Fox News interview on border reversal; Washington Examiner scrutiny; NYT profile; local editorial boards. 3.75/4
T8 EMILY's List, Giffords, J Street, Leadership Now, DCCC Red to Blue, Everytown endorsements. 2.88/4
T9 Regular State of City addresses as mayor. Campaign website with priorities. Media appearances. 2.88/4
T10 Plain-language priorities page; household terms (costs keep rising, working families); accessible town halls. 3.50/4
T11 Prevent insurance middlemen from denying care/medications. Addresses PBM/insurance transparency. 2.88/4
T12 National Housing Crisis Task Force member. As mayor: 1000+ housing units, held absentee landlords accountable. 2.88/4
T13 Cap credit card fees; eliminate hidden charges; oppose broad tariffs harming families. 2.88/4
T14 Rooting out waste, fraud, abuse. Eliminated cash payments, 5-year fiscal forecast, $155M grants with accountability. 4/4
T15 No public statements on AI transparency or technology use transparency. 0/4
T16 $4M police technology (body cameras, smart vehicles), Community Violence Intervention ($105K), neighborhood policing (500+ conversations). 3.13/4
T17 Has addressed immigration broadly but no concrete mechanism for system transparency. 1/4
T18 School Board member: criticized no-bid bus contracts, uncovered waste/fraud. Advised PA Auditor General on oversight. 3.13/4
T19 Supports open primaries; ran as Independent in 2019 challenging closed caucus system. 2.88/4
T20 Federal audit to cut waste with precise measures. Whistleblower hotline, ended cash payments, rooted out nepotism, $155M with oversight. 4/4
T21 Responds to media including Fox News, Wash Examiner, local outlets. Regular press availability as mayor. 3.13/4
T22 No PolitiFact page. Border position shift noted but explained. Maternity leave context is union-negotiated. 2.88/4
T23 Established whistleblower hotline (Dec 2020) operated by Lighthouse Services, 24/7 toll-free and online access. 4/4
T24 Eliminated cash payments; 5-year fiscal forecast publicly available; capital investment plan. Transparency is central theme. 2.88/4
T25 Strong alignment on anticorruption (delivered whistleblower hotline, ended cash payments). 1 tension: maternity leave (mitigated). 3.13/4

87.9%

Top positive drivers

E4 Neighborhood Policing (500+ conversations, 9 blighted properties, 12 vehicles removed); HESG grants; apprenticeship grants. 4/4
E6 Led city out of 30-year distressed status; $155M grants; credit rating junk to A-; $2.2M bond refinancing savings. 4/4
E9 Exited 30-year distressed status; credit rating junk to A-; $155M grants; 1000+ housing units; budget surpluses. 4/4

Top negative drivers

E14 Has addressed immigration broadly but no concrete efficiency mechanism. 1/4

View all 25 criteria

E1 5-year fiscal forecast with benchmarks; capital investment plan; performance metrics for city operations. 3.13/4
E2 Data-driven budget management leading to exit from 30-year distressed status; credit rating upgrade based on metrics. 3.75/4
E3 Professionalized code enforcement; evaluated city operations; advised PA Auditor General on oversight. 3.13/4
E4 Neighborhood Policing (500+ conversations, 9 blighted properties, 12 vehicles removed); HESG grants; apprenticeship grants. 4/4
E5 $4M police technology (body cameras, smart vehicles), modernized city operations from analog systems. 3.13/4
E6 Led city out of 30-year distressed status; $155M grants; credit rating junk to A-; $2.2M bond refinancing savings. 4/4
E7 National Housing Crisis Task Force; endorsed ROAD to Housing Act; Climate Action Campaign; Mayors Innovation Project. 3.75/4
E8 Managed city budget through distressed status exit; navigated $155M federal grants; $68.7M ARPA for stormwater. 3.75/4
E9 Exited 30-year distressed status; credit rating junk to A-; $155M grants; 1000+ housing units; budget surpluses. 4/4
E10 Open primaries; dark money removal; stock trading ban; eliminated cash payments; professionalized code enforcement. 3.75/4
E11 Reform insurance coverage; prevent middlemen from blocking care; expand healthcare marketplace for small business. 2.88/4
E12 1000+ housing units; 10K+ building permits in 3 years; National Housing Crisis Task Force; endorsed ROAD to Housing Act. 4/4
E13 Called on Congress to pass infrastructure/climate plan. Climate Action Campaign participant. 2.88/4
E14 Has addressed immigration broadly but no concrete efficiency mechanism. 1/4
E15 School Board: uncovered waste/fraud. PA Auditor General advisor. Apprenticeship grants to unions. 3.13/4
E16 Community Violence Intervention ($105K); neighborhood policing (500+ conversations, documented outcomes); $4M police technology. 4/4
E17 Apprenticeship grants ($25K each to IBEW/Carpenters); PRO Act; defense manufacturing; 250+ new businesses. 3.75/4
E18 Budget surpluses; eliminated unnecessary expenses; $2.2M bond refinancing savings; exited Act 47 after 30 years. 4/4
E19 $23M stormwater projects; $15M+ downtown streetscape; Scranton-NYC rail ($9M federal); 10K+ building permits. 4/4
E20 Defense manufacturing in NEPA; targeted tariffs vs broad tariffs; diplomatic two-state solution. 2.88/4
E21 Streamlined permitting (10K+ permits in 3 years); improved city operations speed; neighborhood policing rapid response. 3.13/4
E22 Budget surpluses; no tax increase; reduced reliance on state assistance; 5-year fiscal forecast; exited distressed status. 4/4
E23 Acted on financial oversight findings to exit distressed status. Advised PA Auditor General. School Board audit findings. 3.13/4
E24 Reformed city operations after predecessor's corruption; changed hiring (ended nepotism); reformed code enforcement. 3.13/4
E25 Advised PA Auditor General on oversight. Whistleblower hotline for city agencies. Federal audit with precise measures. 3.13/4

78.1%

Top positive drivers

A12 1000+ housing units; HESG grants; senior housing plans; ROAD to Housing Act; absentee landlord accountability. 4/4
A1 Campaign frames economics around constituent struggles; town halls on economic issues; addressed housing/insurance/stormwater costs. 3.75/4
A3 HESG grants for housing; apprenticeship grants; community center grants; flood recovery grants; stormwater mitigation. 3.75/4

Top negative drivers

A17 IRA mentions food insecurity. Opposes SNAP cuts. No concrete mechanism for food affordability named. 1/4

View all 25 criteria

A1 Campaign frames economics around constituent struggles; town halls on economic issues; addressed housing/insurance/stormwater costs. 3.75/4
A2 Uses budget data, credit rating metrics, grant totals ($155M), housing counts (1000+), building permits (10K+). 3.13/4
A3 HESG grants for housing; apprenticeship grants; community center grants; flood recovery grants; stormwater mitigation. 3.75/4
A4 Break up large monopolies; cap credit card fees; targeted tariffs vs. broad tariffs. 2.88/4
A5 Opposes broad tariffs harming families; healthcare cuts taking coverage from 30K+ people. 2.88/4
A6 Responded to Medicaid cut threat (30K+ affected); flood recovery grants; IRA advocacy for food insecurity. 3.13/4
A7 Opposes tax cuts for billionaires; federal audit to redirect waste; redirected ARPA funds ($68.7M) to infrastructure. 2.88/4
A8 Break up monopolies; cap credit card fees; eliminate hidden charges; held absentee landlords accountable. 2.88/4
A9 Consistently frames in household terms: costs keep rising, working families, Medicaid impact on 30K+ neighbors. 3.50/4
A10 Affordability central to campaign: healthcare, housing, credit card fees, tariffs, anti-monopoly, worker wages. 3.75/4
A11 Reform insurance coverage; prevent middlemen from blocking care; expand healthcare marketplace. Opposes $1T Medicaid cut. 2.88/4
A12 1000+ housing units; HESG grants; senior housing plans; ROAD to Housing Act; absentee landlord accountability. 4/4
A13 Fight for paid family leave; apprenticeship grants; School Board experience; PA AG advisor on student debt. 2.88/4
A14 Opposes tax cuts for ultra-wealthy. Criticizes opponent's vote on tax-cut-funded Medicaid cuts. 2.88/4
A15 Cap credit card fees; eliminate hidden charges; break up monopolies. Consumer-facing city reforms as mayor. 2.88/4
A16 PRO Act; expand collective bargaining; universal paid family leave. Apprenticeship grants to unions. 2.88/4
A17 IRA mentions food insecurity. Opposes SNAP cuts. No concrete mechanism for food affordability named. 1/4
A18 Supported infrastructure/climate plan; IRA funding; stormwater investment reducing flood/insurance costs. 2.88/4
A19 Championed Scranton-NYC passenger rail ($9M federal, 473K annual riders); downtown streetscape; ADA-accessible ramps. 3.75/4
A20 Connects healthcare, housing, wages, credit cards, tariffs, monopolies as interconnected cost-of-living issues. 2.88/4
A21 Consistent actions on housing (1000+ units), fiscal management (surpluses), infrastructure, union support. 3.13/4
A22 Opposes $1T Medicaid cut; criticizes cuts risking food insecurity for children and seniors. 2.88/4
A23 Addresses working families, seniors (housing plans), children, small business workers. 2.88/4
A24 Proposals span workers (PRO Act), families (paid leave), seniors (housing), small business, students. 2.88/4
A25 EMILY's List, Giffords, J Street, Leadership Now, Everytown, DCCC Red to Blue. Union support. 2.88/4

Scored from publicly available information. Research in progress.

Platform research is in progress.

Non-Incumbent · Public Record

Scored on publicly available information only — platform statements, prior office, news coverage. Same criteria as the Questionnaire pathway, without direct candidate input.

Scoring Summary

Axis	Base	Pledge Bonus	Final
Transparency	79.3%	+0.5	79.8%
Efficiency	87.9%	—	87.9%
Affordability	78.1%	—	78.1%
Overall TEA	Average of the three axes		81.8%

Read the full methodology →

Financial Breakdown

Financial detail — individual giving, PAC contributions, transfers, and personal finances — will appear here when FEC data ingestion ships. This tab is reserved so the layout stays consistent when the feature launches.