In a continuation of a worrying trend for Democrats, a recently-ousted congressman has declined to run to win his old seat back in what is widely seen as one of the most tightly-contested House seats in the country.
Matt Cartwright, who represented Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District from 2013 through 2019, and later represented the state’s 8th Congressional District from 2019 through 2025 after maps were re-drawn, will not be seeking re-election.
Cartwright was ousted by U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) in a tightly-contested election back in November. The race, which was decided by a more than 6,000 votes, was one of the decisive Republican victories that granted the party control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
With Cartwright out of contention, the path for Democrats to regain the seat will likely become much more difficult due to the district’s partisan lean. Cartwright was one of the few Democrats holding onto a seat in a district that voted for President Trump in 2016 and 2020.
The district — which includes parts of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Pittston — was carried by Trump by three percentage points in 2020. Trump more than doubled that margin back in November, however, when he carried the district by nine percentage points.
All in all, Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District has a lean of R+4, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.
Cartwright’s decision was first reported by D.C.-based outlet Punchbowl News, while sources close to the former congressman told WVIA that he will formally announce his plans on Thursday.
Potential replacement candidates include Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo, state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, who represents part of Lackawanna County, and state Senator Marty Flynn, who represents parts of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
“Over the past several weeks, as Congressman Cartwright was weighing his decision, he also had several conversations with me, as did several other interested parties,” Lombardo told WVIA. “At this point, I am evaluating my situation with consideration to the following: my family, and obviously myself, and where I am at this point in life, the future of the city, which I would hope no one doubts is extremely important to me and also the team that I have put in place in the city.”
Despite President Trump’s repeated success in the district, it still has more registered Democrats than Republicans, making it one of the top battleground districts in 2026.
In 2024, Bresnahan and Cartwright’s campaigns and outside groups spent more than $31 million on the race, according to figures from OpenSecrets
