Cartwright says he's not running for Congress
MOOSIC — Former Democratic Congressman Matt Cartwright won't run to regain the seat in the House of Representatives he lost last year to Republican Rob Bresnahan, the Luzerne County businessman now representing the 8th Congressional District in the GOP-controlled House.
'I've decided it's time to give it a rest,' Cartwright said Thursday after months of weighing whether to run again. 'I've worked 80-hour weeks for the last 12 years. It's time to give somebody else a chance to do this job.'
Cartwright, who rose in Democratic leadership over his six terms in Congress, announced his decision not to run at a press conference held in the shadow of a new emergency services building under construction in Moosic — a facility he helped secure $3 million in federal funds to support. It's a decision that makes easier the path for other potential Democratic candidates who may seek to challenge Bresnahan in 2026, when Democrats hope voters discontented with Republican President Donald Trump and his GOP allies emerge as a blue wave that sweeps their party back into the House majority.
Former Democratic Congressman Matt Cartwright announces he won't run to regain the seat in the House of Representatives he lost last year to Republican Rob Bresnahan. The former representative of the 8th Congressional District, accompanied by his wife Marion, made the announcement at Greenwood Hose Company on Thursday. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Bresnahan narrowly defeated Cartwright in November, earning 195,663 votes to the incumbent Democrat's 189,411 in the district that includes all of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties.
It was one of the most tightly contested and closely watched races in the country.
As of late April, the independent and nonpartisan Cook Political Report's 2026 House race ratings listed Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District as leaning Republican. Races that lean one way or another are considered competitive, but where one party, in this case the GOP, has an advantage.
CPR had listed the 2024 Cartwright/Bresnahan race as one of 25 House toss-ups across the country, the most competitive races where either party had a good chance of winning.
Who might ultimately run against Bresnahan next year remains unclear, and Cartwright did not endorse any potential candidates Thursday. But after noting his gratitude to the people of Northeast Pennsylvania for allowing him to represent them for 12 years and apologizing to anyone disappointed by his decision not to run, Cartwright said 'it's time to hand over the reins to new blood.'
He also said he'll have more to say about that as time goes on.
'We're going to see how the process shakes itself out,' Cartwright said. 'One of the wonderful things about serving in this position is you get to know all of the politicians with a heartbeat in Northeastern Pennsylvania and I did, and I have to say we have a deep, deep bench on my side of the aisle. We have … what they call an embarrassment of riches. There are a lot of people who could step right into my shoes, and I'm sure you'll be hearing from them fairly shortly.'
Sources told The Times-Tribune that Democratic state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski of Waverly Twp., Democratic Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo and Democratic state Sen. Marty Flynn of Dunmore are considering potential runs.
Democratic Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan said Thursday he won't run. Democratic Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, who's seeking reelection this year, said 'I'm running for mayor of Scranton.'
Efforts to reach Lombardo and Flynn were not immediately successful; Kosierowski responded to the newspaper's inquiry in a statement.
'As both a nurse and a state representative, I share the deep frustration so many in PA-08 are feeling about what's happening at the federal level,' she said. 'Congressman Cartwright has been a strong advocate for this region, and I'm grateful for his service. Right now, I'm focused on continuing to deliver for the people I represent, and as things evolve, I'll keep listening and considering where I can make the greatest impact.'
Former Democratic Congressman Matt Cartwright announces he won't run to regain the seat in the House of Representatives he lost last year to Republican Rob Bresnahan. The former representative of the 8th Congressional District, accompanied by his wife Marion, made the announcement at Greenwood Hose Company on Thursday. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Cartwright spent some of Thursday's press conference reflecting on his impact, including as one of a dozen subcommittee chairs, colloquially called 'Cardinals,' of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
'And that helped me bring a lot of tax dollars, our tax dollars, back home to work in our local economy — about $100 million on my own signature in the last four years,' he said, noting the federal funding for the Moosic emergency services building as an example. 'In our congressional office we placed a premium on working for economic development.'
Cartwright also said 16 bills he wrote became law during his time in Congress, including bills that help veterans and military spouses. He mentioned the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, describing it as a legislative effort 'to remove a blot on our national integrity that came about from our government's poisoning hundreds of thousands of U.S. Marines, their families and the employees at Camp Lejeune with carcinogens in their drinking water.'
He also expressed pride in his work as a chief elected advocate of restoring passenger rail service between Scranton and New York City, describing the Amtrak project as 'all systems go.' As proposed, the project would see Amtrak passenger trains run between Scranton and Manhattan's Penn Station with stops in Mount Pocono and East Stroudsburg, and Blairstown, Dover, Morristown, Montclair and Newark, N.J. An Amtrak study released in March 2023 found that restoring such a service would generate $84 million in new economic activity annually, creating jobs on both sides of the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border.
Lackawanna County commissioners appointed Cartwright in January to a term on the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority board, where he continues to advocate for the project. He also credited and thanked Bresnahan on Thursday for endorsing the Amtrak initiative.
'On the other hand some of his votes leave a lot to be desired and I don't want to go further into it today,' Cartwright said of his Republican successor.
In a statement Thursday, the National Republican Congressional Committee said Bresnahan has accomplished more for Pennsylvania in five months than Cartwright did in more than a decade.
'Rep. Bresnahan is delivering, and Cartwright is sending a message to Democrats that this race is over before it starts,' the statement from NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole said.
Cartwright's remarks Thursday included something of a soliloquy on politics where he suggested voters not simply vote for the change candidate, 'because half the time the change they offer is not for the better.' He also warned against voting for 'extremist candidates' offering simple solutions to complicated problems or for candidates 'who scapegoat the least of our brothers and sisters,' adding that 'targeting their lives is not going to fix yours.'
'Do your own research from reputable sources and vote for candidates that have concrete plans that will actually help you and the people you care about,' he said. 'Vote for leaders who will fight for things that really matter in your lives, like people's health care; like for police and first responders; like for fair pharmaceutical prices; for veterans' care; for seniors' benefits; for workers' rights; for civil rights; for voting rights, civil justice, clean air, clean water, tax fairness and sensible economic policies and for public education.'
'These are the things that I fought for for 12 years down in Washington, D.C.,' he said. 'I was proud to do it and I'm proud to say I went down swinging for these things.'
Cartwright didn't rule out a potential run in future cycles after 2026.
'The door is open,' he said.
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