Rob Bresnahan | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2025 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's8th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Matt Cartwright |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Paul Bresnahan Jr. (1990-04-22)April 22, 1990 (age 35) Kingston, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Education | University of Scranton (BA) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Robert Paul Bresnahan Jr. (/ˈbrɛznəhæn/BREZ-nə-han; born April 22, 1990) is an American politician and businessman serving as theUnited States representative forPennsylvania's 8th congressional district since 2025. He is a member of theRepublican Party.[1][2]
He defeated incumbentMatt Cartwright in the2024 election. He took office on January 3, 2025.
Bresnahan was born on April 22, 1990, inKingston, Pennsylvania.[3] He grew up inWyoming, Pennsylvania.[4] Bresnahan graduated fromWyoming Seminary in 2008.[5] Bresnahan later studied business at theUniversity of Scranton and was on the golf team.[6] He graduated from the university in 2012.[5]
At the age of 19, Bresnahan became the chief financial officer of his grandfather's highway electrical business, Kuharchik Construction inExeter, Pennsylvania.[4] After graduating from theUniversity of Scranton, Bresnahan took over as CEO in 2013.
In 2023, Bresnahan partnered Kuharchik Construction with Midwestern Electric near Chicago, Illinois.[7]
Bresnahan is the owner of RPB Ventures, a real estate development company. The bulk of Bresnahan's real estate projects are on and around Main Street inPittston, Pennsylvania.[8][9]
Bresnahan has served on a number of voluntary boards in Northeastern Pennsylvania including as interim president of the SPCA of Luzerne County board of directors, past president of Wyoming Rotary Club, and treasurer of the TecBRIDGE board and Automated Vehicle Coalition.[4]
He also served on the boards for Junior Achievement of NEPA,Big Brothers Big Sisters of NEPA, Luzerne County Industrial Development Authority,National Electrical Contractors Association and IBEW 163.[4]
Currently, Bresnahan serves on the boards of the SPCA of Luzerne County, Forty Fort Cemetery Association, and Catholic Youth Center.[4]
In October 2023, Bresnahan filed to run for the Republican nomination forPennsylvania's 8th congressional district.[10] The district includesLackawanna County,Wayne County, andPike County along with the majority ofLuzerne County andMonroe County in Northeastern Pennsylvania.[11] In the November 2024 general election, Bresnahan defeated incumbent DemocratMatt Cartwright.[12]
In May 2025, Bresnahan voted for theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act.[13]
In September 2025, Bresnahan co-sponsored a bill to raise the federal minimum wage based on regional cost of living.[14]
For the 119th Congress:[15]
Bresnahan married Chelsea Strub, a former news anchor and reporter atWNEP-TV, on August 16, 2025.[17]
Bresnahan's net worth is estimated at $48 million.[18] In April 2025,The New York Times reported that Bresnahan, who had campaigned on prohibiting stock trading by members of Congress, reported 264 stock trades, purchasing up to $1.7 million in stock since taking office in January 2025.[19] Dozens of these trades were made during the2025 stock market crash, which followed the Trump administration issuing theLiberation Day tariffs.[20] By August 2025, Bresnahan had engaged in 626 stock trades worth $7.24 million.[18] The number of trades made Bresnahan the second-most active stock trader in the 119th Congress.[21] Bresnahan said he planned to establish a blind trust in May 2025, but that theHouse Ethics Committee's rules made the process difficult. Bresnahan says that he does not personally trade stock, instead his financial advisors do the trades.[18]
In November 2025, NBS News reported that Bresnahan dumped $130,000 worth of stock in Centene, Elevance Health, UnitedHealth and CVS Health on May 15. These trades happened a week before he voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included large cuts inMedicaid funding. The four companies manage about half of all Medicaid accounts.[22]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rob Bresnahan | 42,365 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 42,365 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rob Bresnahan Jr. | 195,663 | 50.8 | |||
| Democratic | Matt Cartwright (incumbent) | 189,411 | 49.2 | |||
| Total votes | 385,074 | 100.0 | ||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 8th congressional district 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 377th | Succeeded by |