Candidate Bios for 2025 Debates and Interviews
2025 Democratic Mayoral Primary Candidates for the City of Scranton
Paige Cognetti
Paige Cognetti was first sworn in as the 36th Mayor of Scranton in January 2020. Her administration is focused on driving economic growth, upgrading infrastructure, ensuring public safety and improving residents’ overall quality of life. During her tenure, Scranton emerged from a 30-year distressed financial status in 2022 and in 2025, the city was recognized by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office with the Secretary’s Award for Municipal Excellence for “excellence in local government for economic, community and financial achievements.” With a background in government oversight, investment management and international relations, Mayor Cognetti serves on the Advisory Board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and chairs the Conference’s Metro Economies Standing Committee. She also serves on the boards of numerous other local leadership organizations, supporting fellow elected officials nationwide in promoting economic mobility, environmental sustainability and government efficiency. Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for good government and transparency, entering politics in 2017 after securing a seat on the Scranton School Board with the intention of helping the district navigate its dual crisis of financial distress and public mistrust. As a result of her efforts, she was asked to serve as an advisor to the Pennsylvania Auditor General, the Commonwealth’s chief fiscal watchdog, on the oversight of school districts across the state. At the federal level, she served in the U.S. Treasury Department as a Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs during the Obama-Biden Administration and was appointed to the U.S. Advisory Committee for Trade Policy during the Biden-Harris Administration. Mayor Cognetti holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oregon Clark Honors College. She and her husband, Ryan, live in Scranton with their two daughters, Sloane and Brooke.
Bob Sheridan
Bob Sheridan was born and raised in the City of Scranton, son of Bob and Constance Sheridan. Bob had to leave school early and go to work due to this mother’s cancer diagnosis and his sister’s heart issue. He later attained his GED, attended Act 120 Municipal Officer training, and took additional criminal law classes. Bob was a Scranton police officer and is now retired. He graduated from the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency and was a PA State Constable. After retirement, Bob opened his own business of 22 years, D&S Auto. Bob has been president of the Dutch Hollow Neighborhood Association since 1987, holding Halloween parties with prizes for children for 22 years. He also spent eight years on the City of Scranton’s Board of Education, serving for two years as President. Bob is married to his wife, Marlene and has children. He has lived in the same house his entire life.
2025 Republican Mayoral Primary Candidates for the City of Scranton
Patricia "Trish" BeynonPatricia “Trish” Beynon is a proud and dedicated Scranton resident with over 34 years living in the City’s West Side, proudly raising her daughter Dana here. A graduate of Sacred Heart High School, Carbondale, she grew up in a working class family, her mom a seamstress and her dad a food service salesman. Trish developed resilience early, when her dad, a Vietnam Veteran, passed away when she was 17 years old, where her entire family united to persevere. Upon moving to Scranton in 1991, Trish took evening college classes with a focus on Accounting, and in 1992 she began her current career working as an Accounting Executive at Scartelli Construction Services, Scranton PA. Here she became a Licensed Notary, and where she was educated and excels in using Sage Construction Software and QuickBooks programs. Her job includes managing the entire office from preparing and submitting City and State documents, to overseeing budgets, to processing payroll, balancing the Company’s books, to executing and submitting bids for Construction projects. Also, in 2015 Trish obtained her State Real Estate License, where in addition to working at Scartelli Construction Services, she also works as a Licensed Realtor with Nasser Real Estate LLC, proudly assisting families in navigating the housing market. Her commitment extends beyond Accounting and Real Estate. In 2015 and in 2016 Trish’s dedication to hard work also showed when she worked on the Company’s Office Renovation project, painting walls and installing flooring, and doing the same at the Dunmore YMCA Splash Pad/Pool project. Her deep experience reflects a lifelong dedication to hard work, and community.
Lynn LabroskyLynn Labrosky grew up in a working-class family on Genet Street in Scranton, the middle of 3 daughters born to John and Mary Ann Balko. Her father worked as a machinist at the former McKinney's factory. Her mother was a nurse at Taylor Nursing Home. Lynn and her husband share 4 children. Their oldest son John and his wife Marjorie, reside in Pittston and have blessed them with 3 beautiful granddaughters. Thea age 9, Elliana age 5 and Aurora a newborn! Their oldest daughter Chelsea resides near Philadelphia with her fiancé Mike. Their youngest son Eric resides in Florida. And their youngest daughter Carly, resides in Duryea. In 1994, Lynn graduated from Lackawanna College in Scranton with an Associate of Science degree in Legal Assistance. She continued her education in Criminal Justice with SUNY Empire State College, Center for Distant Learning. In 1997, Lynn and her family purchased their first home on Beech Street in Scranton. In early 2012, Lynn and her family were displaced from their home due to a house fire.Later in 2012, Lynn and her family moved into their new home on Rock Street in Scranton, where she still currently resides with her husband. Also, since 2012, Lynn and her husband have owned and successfully operated a small automotive repair shop in Scranton. Prior to owning a business, Lynn worked for many years at Friendship House, Scranton (a school and residential center for children with special needs), St. Joseph’s Mother & Infant Program, Scranton (a program that serves homeless mothers with babies) and Dr. David Clark, DMD, Clarks Summit (oral surgeon). Lynn spends time engaging in her community by volunteering with the local senior center, participating in neighborhood clean-ups and also assisted with helping the homeless. Lynn often discusses community concerns by speaking at her local city council meetings. In addition, Lynn is an active member of her church. Lynn is running for Mayor of Scranton because it is not just where she lives; it is where she grew up, received her education, formed friendships, built a career, raised her children and established a small business. Lynn cares deeply about her city and the challenges it faces, such as not utilizing funds effectively which have led to issues such as high taxes, poor road conditions, increasing crime and homelessness. Lynn believes that with collaboration and unity, she can tackle these issues head-on. Her goal is to promote policies that benefit everyone, regardless of their background or political affiliation. Her vision for Scranton is one of revitalization and progress, and she is ready to roll up her sleeves and work tirelessly to make our city a better place for all.
2025 Democratic City Council Primary Candidates for the City of Scranton
Patrick Flynn
Patrick was born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania the son of Cathy (Kerrigan) and the late Matty Flynn and currently lives with his wife Kate (Schimelfenig) and their sons Packy and Casey in the Green Ridge section. Patrick is the Co-Founder and Head of External Affairs at Manifesto Health, a substance use disorder and mental health peer support company working with labor unions to support their members and families. Patrick also serves as the Recovery Advocate Member on the Lackawanna County Opioid Settlement Committee. Prior to founding Manifesto Health, Patrick was a Government Affairs Specialist at Independence Blue Cross (IBX). During his time with IBX, Patrick was part of a team that communicated the company’s public policy positions to elected officials and regulators at the federal, state and local levels. This included Independence’s key priorities to address the ongoing opioid crisis. A person in long-term recovery since 2014, Patrick founded the Someone You Know Group at IBX, an employee resource group which strives to break the stigma of addiction in the workplace. In 2020, Patrick was invited by US Rep. Madeleine Dean to attend the State of the Union address for his efforts around addiction and recovery advocacy. Patrick was also given the Unsung Hero award by Caron Treatment Centers.
Frankie Malacaria
Frankie Malacaria is a dedicated political and community organizer with four years of experience fighting for working-class families and building grassroots power in Scranton, and five years of experience making pizza. Before which he worked in bars and as an electrician. Since changing career paths, Frankie has worked on many local progressive campaigns. Notably, in 2022 he spearheaded the campaign to limit solitary confinement, collecting over 13,500 signatures in just 7 weeks from Lackawanna County voters. He's helped in organizing countless protests over the years in defense of human rights from bodily autonomy and reproductive rights to more recently immigrant rights. Frankie also stands in strong solidarity with labor unions and the workers they represent, both in policy and on the picket line. Frankie has also helped organize community support for strikes and labor actions, including standing with healthcare workers to demand fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to collectively bargain.
Sean McAndrew
Sean is a lifelong resident of Scranton. Having been raised in West Side, he knew there was no place better to continue his life and he purchased a home there in 2014 at the age of 25. Sean earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from The Pennsylvania State University, as well as a graduate certificate in Public Budgeting and Financial Management from the same institution. Professionally, Sean works as a pharmaceutical customer service manager. Since 2020, he has served on the Scranton School Board, always prioritizing the best interests of students. His primary goal has been to ensure a safe and supportive learning and working environment for both students and staff. Committed to fiscal responsibility, Sean has never voted to raise taxes, believing that our taxpayers are already severely overburdened. During his tenure, the district implemented significant security upgrades, successfully exited state financial recovery and expanded opportunities for students. Sean plans to bring his public service experience to the city’s governance. He pledges to be a strong supporter of our public safety officials and will fight for our city’s union members. He plans to push for a cut in the city’s real estate transfer tax to increase home ownership and make the city more attractive to new residents. Sean will be a transparent, independent voice on council and would seek your support in May’s primary election.
Todd Pousley
Todd Pousley is a proud West Scranton resident who, for the past 7 years, has dedicated himself to improving his community as director of community development at NeighborWorks Northeastern PA. In this role, he leads collaborative, resident-driven efforts to improve Scranton and other communities in NEPA. Todd is also an active volunteer, having served on the boards of Habitat for Humanity of Lackawanna County, Leadership Lackawanna, and Friends of the Poor. He currently serves as the chair of the Scranton City Planning Commission and Lackawanna County Land Bank Advisory Committee. Todd holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Marywood University and a Nonprofit Leadership Certificate from the 探花系列.
Tom Schuster
Tom Schuster is a lifelong resident of the City of Scranton, born and raised in the Tripp Park section. He and his wife, Tara Levandoski Schuster, are raising their son Thomas in the Keyser Valley neighborhood, where they purchased their second home after buying their first in North Scranton in 2007. Tom is a graduate of St. Patrick’s Elementary School in West Scranton and Bishop Hannan High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Business from Pennsylvania State University and completed a Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from St. Joseph’s University. Tom served on the Scranton City Planning Commission from 2014 to 2015 before being elected to the Scranton School Board of Directors, where he served from 2015 to 2020. During his time on the board, he held leadership positions as Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, Chair of Labor Relations, and served as the district’s representative to the Lackawanna Tax Collection Committee. In 2020, Tom was elected to the Scranton City Council, where he served as Finance Chair from 2020 to 2024 and chair of the Public Works Committee in 2024.
Tom’s civic engagement includes his active membership on the St. Patrick’s Parade Committee of Lackawanna County, the Waldorf Park German-American Federation, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, JFK Division 1. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Electric City Steel Drum Project. Professionally, Tom has spent nearly two decades working to support youth and families. From 2006 to 2022, he worked in the Autism Department at the Children’s Service Center, eventually becoming Clinical Supervisor for its Partial Hospitalization Program. He later served as Building Administrator at the Graham Academy and currently works as Dean of Students for NEIU 19.