Less than two months after endorsing Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti in her race against US Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) at the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters, the union is now backing Bresnahan’s reelection campaign.
Pennsylvania is the home to four pivotal US House races that could determine the control of the chamber with Bresnahan being among the most vulnerable Republicans facing reelection this fall.
Cognetti accepted the Teamsters’ endorsement via voice vote after speaking at their yearly conference in April, which was televised on Pennsylvania Cable Network.
“ Elected mayor in 2019 after a corruption scandal, she became the first woman to hold the office and later won re-election with a large majority,” Bill Hamilton, President of the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters, said at their yearly meeting.
Hamilton then highlighted Cognetti’s fight against public corruption and her accomplishments as mayor.
“As mayor, Paige has taken on special interests and fought for reform. She turned down a [city-issued] car, eliminated cash payments, and cut costs, leading to budget surpluses and a credit rating that went from junk to investment grade.”
Cognetti earned the moniker “Paige Against the Machine” after defeating a political machine to become the mayor of Scranton in 2019. The city’s previous mayor, Bill Courtright, resigned amid a federal corruption probe and eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy, bribery, and extortion.
“We embrace it, though, because I have spent seven years as mayor telling a lot of people that aren’t used to being told no, ‘no,’ and I don’t [b.s.],” Cognetti told the Teamsters.
“I will tell you what I can do and what I can’t do and how we can work together, but I’m not going to just tell you what you want to hear because that doesn’t help us meet our goals and it’s just bad business.”
After Cognetti’s remarks in front of the union members, Hamilton led a voice vote to endorse Cognetti, which was enthusiastically supported by those in attendance.
“ She said a magic phrase at the end of that sentence ‘I’m hoping for your endorsement.’ There’s a motion in the back. Is there a second? The ayes have it. You have our endorsement.” Hamilton said.
Jumping ahead to last week, the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters issued a statement endorsing the freshman lawmaker.
“Rep. Bresnahan has always had our backs, particularly when he played a critical role in the successful bipartisan push to pass the Faster Labor Contracts Act in the House of Representatives,” Hamilton said in a statement. “The Teamsters support candidates who support us regardless of their party affiliation, and for that reason Robert Bresnahan has our unwavering endorsement.”
The Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) declined to comment on their decision to endorse Bresnahan.
Earlier this year, Bresnahan appeared on IBT President Sean O’Brien’s podcast, and his district is one of two dozen Republican-held US House districts the union is pouring money into.
Bresnahan’s campaign pointed to his track record supporting Teamsters-backed legislation in Congress for his support and believes the original endorsement was unofficial.
“Rep. Bresnahan earned the Teamsters’ endorsement because his bipartisan work to deliver on numerous Teamsters priorities in Congress demonstrates a record they can count on, versus entitled Democratic insider Paige Cognetti, who took their support for granted and has betrayed union workers time and again,” Samantha Bullock, a campaign spokesperson, said in a statement.
