VICTORY FOR GUN SAFETY: Moms Demand Action Volunteer Paige Cognetti Wins in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District

Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund Ran a More Than $43 Million Paid Media Campaign Focused on Moms Demand Action Volunteers in Must-Win Battleground U.S. House Districts

Everytown Supporters, Alongside Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers, Made More Than 15 Million Voter Contacts To Support Gun Safety Candidates

WASHINGTON - Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and its grassroots networks, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, declared a major victory today as voters elected former Moms Demand Action volunteer and Mayors Against Illegal Guns member Paige Cognetti to represent Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District.

"As Mayor of Scranton and a leader in Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Paige Cognetti made gun violence prevention a priority, launching the city's first community-based program to stop shootings before they happen," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. "Now she'll have a vote in Congress to stop the Trump administration's gun lobby-backed attempts to roll back programs and policies that are keeping cities like Scranton safe."

"Paige Cognetti was a leader in Mayors Against Illegal Guns before she was ever a candidate for Congress, and Northeastern Pennsylvania just made her its next representative," said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. "Our volunteers knocked doors all fall to get her here. We're proud of her and of every volunteer who made this win possible."

"Mayor Cognetti has stood shoulder to shoulder with us in the fight to keep Northeastern Pennsylvania safe, and we're thrilled to send her to Congress," said Sheli Pratt-McHugh, a volunteer with the Pennsylvania chapter of Moms Demand Action. "We rallied our neighbors around what was at stake, and this community turned out in full force for her. We know she's just getting started, and we can't wait to see what she gets done."

Establishing a gun safety majority in the House was Everytown's top federal priority this cycle. Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund invested more than $43 million in House races to elect former volunteers in eight of the most competitive districts in the country: AZ-06, FL-22, IA-01, IA-02, IA-03, MI-08, MI-10 and PA-08 - all carried by President Trump in 2024. Everytown also backed gun safety champion Rep. Jared Moskowitz in Florida's 25th District. Working closely with House Majority PAC, the program highlighted the strong public safety records of endorsed candidates and the threat MAGA extremists pose to commonsense gun safety laws and our communities. Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers made more than 15 million voter contacts in support of gun safety candidates up and down the ballot.

These candidates were among 547 Moms Demand Action volunteers who ran for offices up and down the ballot across 47 states this cycle, including more than 40 who ran for Congress. Many were trained through Demand a Seat, which Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund launched in 2021 to train grassroots volunteers and gun violence survivors to run for office. The program has trained more than 1,600 volunteers across 49 states and Washington, D.C. Since 2021, more than 600 former volunteers have been elected, including six who were already serving in Congress before this election.