Freshman Focus: Republican Rob Bresnahan, who unseated a six-term House Democrat, reveals how he did it

Voters in Pennsylvania’s 8th district gave Rep. Six-year incumbent Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., resigned last month in favor of a young, energetic and successful businessman who says he is ready to defend their interests in the nation’s capital.

Republican candidate Rob Bresnahan, 34, tells Fox News Digital in an interview that “kitchen table issues” helped him connect with northeastern Pennsylvania and fire Cartwright, a progressive who had served in Congress for more than a decade.

“When we knocked on doors and talked to people every day over a 13-month period, the first thing anyone had to say was, ‘I can’t pay my bills. I can’t afford the rent. I can’t. I can pay the school property tax,'” Bresnahan said.

Rising food and gas prices have made the cost of living unaffordable for Pennsylvanians, he explained. And as voters watch illegal immigrants cross the southern border and be offered free food, housing and benefits, while billions in foreign aid flow from the US to other countries, they feel that immigrants are treated better than Americans by their own government, it said. Bersnahan.

PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRAT REP. MATT CARTWRIGHT ENDORSES RACE TO GOP CHALLENGER

“We look around our neighbors and say, ‘hey, what about us here?’ And they couldn’t help but feel like they’ve been put second for a long time.”

Bresnahan, 34, was a success story before he won election to the House of Representatives. A fifth-generation native of Luzerne County, at just 19 years old he was appointed CFO of his grandfather’s construction company, which built electrical infrastructure for municipalities and highways throughout Pennsylvania.

He spent his college years at the University of Scranton going back and forth between the office and the classroom as he worked to help businesses recover from the global financial crisis. His hard work paid off, the business grew and Bresnahan became CEO after graduating in 2013.

“I was still living at home with my parents and I was going in and out of the bedroom running a company with 58 employees even though I still couldn’t drink Coors Light,” he told Citizen’s Voice in 2021. The combination was a lot of work but it was a sacrifice that I would do again in a second.”

But as the years passed, Bresnahan, like many Americans, felt that the country was going down the wrong path. The decisions from Washington, DC, were not good for his business, his employees and the people they serve. Therefore, he decided to enter politics to make a difference.

“I felt that the country was not moving in the right direction with what was happening on our southern border. We were living a life that was beyond the reach of the average person. And I have always been a person to roll up my sleeves and throw myself into the fire,” said Bresnahan.

A PA DEM IN THE DISTRICT THAT VOTED FOR TRUMP SAYS TO BE EQUAL, BUT THE VOTING RECORD TELLS ANOTHER STORY.

Rob Bresnahan, the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania’s 8th District, takes the stage during a Trump campaign at Riverfront Sports on Oct. 9, 2024 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)

His winning congressional campaign focused on securing the border, cutting taxes and cutting government spending, creating “family-friendly jobs” in the Keystone State and supporting legislation. In April, Bresnahan received an endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.

“A successful businessman, Rob has worked hard to Create Jobs and Grow the Economy, unlike his opponent, Matt Cartwright, who totally sees Nancy Pelosi and the Radical Left,” Trump said on Truth Social.

With the campaign behind him, Bresnahan says he and other members of the Republican majority in Congress are ready to start over with a pro-growth agenda in January.

“Protecting the border. That has to be done on the first day, Jan. 3 at 12:01 pm, the day after we’re all sworn in,” he told Fox News Digital. “I think there’s going to be a big playbook, but that’s a win that’s tangible right off the bat.”

ONE HOUSE RACE IS BETWEEN REPUBLICANS AND 1ST SEAT

A view of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Nov. 4, 2024, before the 2024 presidential election. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

As for inflation, Bresnahan says Congress and the Trump administration can address lower prices by lowering energy costs. “If we’re talking about Pennsylvania alone, 52% of homes are fueled by natural gas. $45 billion a year is generated in the natural gas industry, and $76 billion in GDP comes from the fracking and natural gas industry,” he said, stressing that . policy makers must stop “polluting natural resources.”

The growing national debt, which is $36 trillion, is another burden on the economy that Bresnahan says Congress must address. “We spend more on debt service – our national debt and interest – than we spend on our defense budget.”

The junior lawmaker said there will be “tough votes” on spending depending on when Congress convenes in January. But two of the biggest contributors to the national debt and deficit will remain unaffected.

“Obviously, we can’t cut Medicare. We can’t cut Social Security. We have to save that for our current generation, and we have to find ways to save it for our generation and the next generation. But I don’t. They believe there is a one-size-fits-all policy in any situation, let alone the national debt and and federal government spending,” Bresnahan said.

However, he added that illegal immigrants should not benefit from programs that Americans pay into, including Social Security and Medicare.

REPUBLICANS SCHEDULED TO RETAIN HOUSE CONTROL AS TRUMP PREPARED TO ROLL AGENDA

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is expected to keep his job after Republicans held on to their majority in the House. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Republicans are expected to extend the 2017 tax cuts that became law during Trump’s first term. Bresnahan says he supports those tax cuts and insists that economic growth fueled by the repeal and investment in infrastructure and American jobs could make up for any potential revenue losses.

“We have to put people back to work,” he said. “We must create the economic conditions that allow the American people to encourage them to go to work.”

Part of that is supporting jobs that don’t require a college degree, such as carpenters, plumbers or electricians. “These are good jobs, that keep families with an income starting on day one, with health insurance for your family, and you get paid while you study.”

Turning to foreign policy, Bresnahan said the United States must remain strong around the world and pursue “peace through strength.”

“But we have to be strong like the United States,” he added. Asked about the GOP’s growing opposition to foreign aid, including to Ukraine, Bresnahan stressed that he supports efforts to push back against Russian aggression — but wants to do so responsibly.

YOUNGEST HOUSE REPUBLICAN-ELECT SHOWS HOW GOP IS WINNING BACK YOUNG AMERICA

“Putin is a war criminal and needs to be stopped,” he said. “We all support the provision of weapons, missiles, rockets – in fact, there is a large production center within my district. But where I want to answer the green, hard dollars sent. They will face the right problems.”

Echoing Trump’s beliefs about putting America first, Bresnahan said there is a point when “enough is enough” and that Europe should match America’s foreign aid contributions.

“Again, I’m looking at, you know, 25% of my bridges are structurally deficient. We have aging infrastructure systems that protect over $1 trillion in assets here in the United States. You’re talking about power distribution grids and we’ve been reinvested since the 1950s with 50-year lifespans usable And, you know, we’ve had no power for days now, which could be a week (Editor’s note: A tropical storm in Breshanan County has postponed this interview). Europe didn’t come and send trucks to help us rebuild our grids. “

“Obviously Ukraine has a lot going on, but we need to take care of our people. We have to take care of our American people. And I believe that Donald Trump had that story and that’s why he recently won the election in a landslide, because it’s about us,” he added.

Bresnahan hopes to bring “common sense” solutions to the complex problems facing Americans. He has promised to work with anyone with a good idea, Republican or Democratic, and has received endorsements from both No Labels and the moderate Problem Solvers Caucus. Although he calls himself a “conservative,” he rejects political labels because “I don’t think confirmation bias is the right way to solve any problem.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM

“I believe that many challenges can be overcome through healthy and robust debate,” he added.

And what about those stories that inflame passions on both sides? Before this discussion, Rep. Nancy Mace, RS.C., made national headlines after she introduced a resolution that would have prevented Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., a transgender lawmaker, on using women’s bathrooms. the capitol.

Bresnahan said that while he believes natural men should not play in women’s sports or use their facilities, the spat between Mace and McBride distracts from other important issues facing Americans – such as deteriorating infrastructure and the high cost of living.

“I don’t want the 119th Congress to be hijacked by what bathrooms we should be using when we’re elected to provide real solutions for real Americans. And that’s what I’m going to take down to Washington, DC.”

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign, exclusive interviews and more on our Fox News Digital election site.