Democrat swing candidate called Biden's border handling 'a huge misstep' after backing his approach as mayor

By Fox News · Fox News

A Democratic candidate is facing scrutiny over an apparent reversal on the southern border as she seeks to flip a battleground House seat this year. Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti recently criticized former President Joe Biden's handling of the southern border, calling it "a huge misstep" and "really terrible" during a March podcast appearance. The House hopeful, however, did not appear to publicly criticize the administration’s border policies when Biden was president. Cognetti, who has served as the mayor of Biden’s hometown since 2020, is vying to unseat freshman Rep. Rob Bresnahan in November’s midterm elections. The Northeastern Pennsylvania contest promises to be one of the most competitive House elections this year. JAMES TALARICO SAYS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WAS CONVINCED BORDER SECURITY WAS 'RACIST' Cognetti’s recent messaging criticizing Biden comes as some Democrats have largely pivoted toward the center on border security after the party’s messaging fell flat in 2024. When Cognetti called for "better control at our borders" during a September 2021 interview with a local outlet, she did not appear to hold the Biden administration responsible for the problem. In August 2023, Cognetti co-signed a letter with a handful of Pennsylvania mayors appearing to approve of the Biden administration’s approach to the border. "You are working to bring more order to the southern border with a combination of strategies," the group wrote to Biden, adding that he had "rightfully promised" to tie border security with expanding pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants living in the United States. A spokesperson for Cognetti said the mayor had been consistent in urging Biden to secure the border during his presidency. "Like a lot of Northeastern Pennsylvanians, she has seen what the scourge of Fentanyl has done to our community and has said that President Biden didn’t do enough to secure the southern border," the spokeswoman said, adding that Cognetti is "no stranger to ca…