EIGHTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, PA — The contest between Matt Cartwright and Rob Bresnahan for the PA-8 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives could have implications beyond its borders in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

“The race is one of the tightest, and most hotly contested in the country, and is one of a handful [in] Pennsylvania that could help determine the balance of power in the House of Representatives,” said veteran journalist Tracey Matisak. Matisak moderated a debate between the two candidates on October 22. Candidates spoke about on hot-button issues of the campaign season and the everyday kitchen-table issues faced by residents of the Eighth District. 

Borders

The candidates were asked about their favored solutions to the situation at the border. 

Bresnahan said that, in addition to a physical barrier and supplemental technologies, 

“the narrative needs to be changed that the border is closed.” When he visited the border, he said he saw a group of 50 migrants walk around the border wall and surrender themselves to border patrol agents, and later saw some of the migrants traveling freely in the country. 

While “my heart breaks” for the children brought across the border who “don’t have anything to do with it,” Bresnahan said he had concern for senior citizens struggling to pay their bills. 

“We’ve spent $150 billion a year on taking care of migrants,” said Bresnahan. “What about the United States? What about the current residents?”

Cartwright prioritized fixing a “broken” immigration system. Congress came up with a bill to address the problems, Cartwright said, the Langford bill was “a tough but fair path to closing the border and getting a hold of immigration.”

He put the blame on the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, for the failure of the bill, which he said had bipartisan support before Johnson opposed it. “We’ve got to fix the border; we have to put people over politics,” Cartwright said. 

Independence

Candidates were asked if they would serve as a rubber stamp for their party if elected, or if they would have their own positions. Both said they would do the latter. 

“The only people I’m beholden to are the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Bresnahan, adding that he hoped the people would vote him out if he started voting in lockstep with his party. 

“I’ve served under three presidents, now, and I’ve broken with all three of them,” said Cartwright. He highlighted moments of disagreement with Obama and Biden and moments where he’d worked with Trump. 

On rebuttal, Bresnahan questioned Cartwright’s credentials. 

“You are a member of the progressive caucus. You have broke ranks with Democrats less than 2.5% of the time… and I have full confidence that you will continue to do so,” Bresnahan said. 

“That is absolutely a misconception,” said Cartwright. He said that he has passed 16 substantive bills into law while in office, and that “You don’t do that unless you can work across the aisle.”

Abortion

Candidates were asked if they would vote in line with Pennsylvania law on a hypothetical national abortion ban. 

“I want to make it absolutely crystal clear; I support reproductive freedom for women,” said Cartwright. 

Cartwright called the Dobbs decision, which repealed Roe v. Wade, “a jolt,” and criticized Bresnahan, saying, “my opponent claims that Dobbs did exactly what it should do.”

Bresnahan said he would not support a federal ban on abortion. “You put it on the ballot, you allow the voters to decide what’s best for their state, but I’ll certainly say this is not a place for the federal government to be involved,” he said. 

Bresnahan said it was important to be “empathetic” on the issue of abortion, and questioned Cartwright’s own position on the issue. 

“It is true that my wife and I are practicing Catholics, but I have never said I would vote to take away women’s reproductive rights,” Cartwright said, opposing the imposition of one’s own religious views on others. 

Economy

Both candidates were asked what they would do to fight inflation and to help people pay for staples. 

Bresnahan said, “First and foremost, you need to have a balanced budget, and it’s happened before in the past and it can happen again with the right leadership,” he said. 

“Secondly, you’re looking at energy costs,” Bresnahan added. He said energy costs are the biggest driver of inflation, and that the county cannot afford to “vilify” fossil fuels, especially considering the natural gas resources available within Pennsylvania. 

Cartwright focused on some of the government interventions that he’d voted for to decrease prices, including votes to stop price-gouging from gas companies and the pharmaceutical industry, voting to stop shipping profiteering and voting for a middle-class tax cut. 

“The economists are telling us that it’s all getting better, but it sure doesn’t feel like it, not yet,” he said. 

Foreign policy

The candidates were also asked for their thoughts on America’s engagement and spending on overseas wars. 

“I have never made it a secret of the fact that I support Ukraine,” said Cartwright. He called Putin a “monstrous criminal,” and said that he had told Volodymyr Zelenskyy he was “the Winston Churchill of Eastern Europe, standing up for democracy, standing up for freedom.” 

“I didn’t hear anything on Israel on that answer,” Bresnahan said. He called what was happening in Ukraine “tragic,” and said he wanted some accountability for the funding the United States is sending to Ukraine, at a time of struggle for U.S. citizens. “It just cannot be an open checkbook.”

Bresnahan said he supported Israel; “I trust the IDF and what they need to do; we should continue to provide them the weapons they need to fight their war.”

On response, Cartwright said he also supported Israel, and said he had broken with Democrats to sign on to a bill supporting munitions being sent to Israel “with no strings attached.”

The debate was hosted by WVIA, an NPR and PBS public media company. It can be watched here: pbssocal.org/shows/wvia-special-presentations/episodes/decision-2024-pennsylvania-8th-congressional-district-debate-n2ifek