2025 IN REVIEW: Elected officials frequented Luzerne County

WILKES-BARRE — Luzerne County is always a hotbed for political activity and 2025 was no exception.

Here are a few of the highlights from 2025:

The year began with the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. U.S. Reps. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, and Rob Bresnahan, R-Dallas Township, celebrated the historic inauguration of the 47th President of the United States, calling it a defining moment for the nation.

“Today marks the beginning of a New Golden Age for our country,” Meuser said. “President Trump’s bold leadership will restore confidence in the American dream and renew our nation’s strength at home and abroad. By securing our border, unleashing American energy, growing the economy, strengthening our national security and putting America First, he will deliver on the mandate the people overwhelmingly voted for. Americans have spoken, and the message is clear: we are ready to reclaim our nation’s strength and reaffirm our position as a global leader. Together, we have the opportunity to make the next four years the greatest in our nation’s history.”

First-term U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan said he was honored to attend the inauguration.

“It was a privilege to be in the Capitol Rotunda today and witness President Donald Trump’s inauguration,” Bresnahan said. “I look forward to the next four years of this Administration and putting America First.”

West Side Regional Police Department

In June, State Rep. Alec Ryncavage said that the response to the announcement of the newly formed West Side Regional Police Department had been positive.

That said, two communities have agreed to join the new unit — Larksville Borough and Edwardsville Borough. Ryncavage, R-Hanover Township, said he expects more towns will follow once the new regional department gets off the ground on Jan. 1.

“Starting with two is a more manageable process,” Ryncavage said. “Six out of the seven surrounding communities have also expressed an interest in regionalization, but final decisions (from them) have not been made at this time. As you can imagine, the communities will need to have their own internal discussions — but it is safe to say that the other communities will be watching when the West Side Regional Police Department officially launches next year and will probably make their decisions in short order after that.”

Wilkes-Barre Police Chief Joe Coffay was hired to be the new department’s chief.

Mayor Paige running for Congress

In September, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti formally announced that she is running for the Democratic nomination in the 8th Congressional District.

Cognetti, 45, of Scranton, made the announcement that she will attempt to unseat first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan in the 2026 mid-term election.

In a news release announcing her candidacy, Cognetti said she is running “to clean up corruption in Washington and fight for the hardworking people of Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Keystone Mission closes

In June, the Keystone Mission announced that it was closing its two overnight homeless shelters — one in Wilkes-Barre and one in Scranton.

According to Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown, the decision was made due to a shortage of funding.

“We received no notification,” Brown said. “The city invested $323,000 to keep it open, plus $100,000 was provided in state funding.”

Brown said Keystone Mission would try to place its clients with other programs and facilities.

Meuser nixes run for governor

In July, U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser decided to remain in Congress, forgoing a run for governor of Pennsylvania in 2026.

Meuser, R-Dallas, made the announcement following weeks of speculation that he was considering throwing his hat into the gubernatorial ring to challenge Democratic incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro next year.

Meuser, 61, is serving his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican, entered the race for governor.

Vance visits West Pittston

Also in July, Vice President JD Vance celebrated the historic passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill in West Pittston, readying Republicans to use the newly minted legislation to battle Democrats in the 2026 mid-term elections.

“We have worked so hard to get this legislation passed to cut your taxes, to prevent big tax increases, to make it easier to save and invest in our own country and our own people once again,” Vance told a crowd of about 250 people at Don’s Machine Shop. “And we will continue talking about the bill and we will keep giving examples over the next year and a half all across this great country.”

WV Challenger Little League honored

In August, the Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball team made history in Williamsport — they competed in the 2025 Little League Challenger Division Exhibition Game against the Challenger team from Woburn, Massachusetts.

The 15-member team accomplished quite a bit during their time at the home of Little League Baseball, achieving two unprecedented accomplishments:

• The Wyoming Valley team was the first Challenger Little League team to interact with an international World Series Little League squad (Japan).

• A member of the Wyoming Valley Challenger team — James Scholten Jr. — was given the honor of throwing out the first pitch in the Little League World Series International Championship game between Chinese Taipei (representing the Asia-Pacific region) and Aruba (representing the Caribbean region). Chinese Taipei won the game to advance to the World Series Championship game, and went on to win the World Series title by defeating the United States champion, Nevada.

In October, members of the Wyoming Valley Challenger Little League team, their coaches, and parents were in Harrisburg to meet with Shapiro and several state legislators — celebrating their many accomplishments.

Shapiro visits Weinberg Food Bank

In November, Shapiro said nearly two million Pennsylvanians rely on SNAP every month — and they shouldn’t have to wonder where their next meal will come from because of dysfunction in Washington, D.C.

“There’s no substitute for the federal government’s decision not to release SNAP benefits, but my administration is stepping up to use every tool we have — state resources, private sector support, and the compassion of our communities — to keep our food banks stocked and our families fed,” Shapiro said during a visit to the Monsignor Andrew J. McGowan Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston Township. “The federal government has the money to keep people fed — they’re just refusing to use it. In Pennsylvania, I won’t let our families or food banks shoulder that burden alone.”

Shapiro said he signed a declaration of disaster emergency and is making $5 million in Commonwealth funding immediately available to Pennsylvania food banks — nearly $300,000 is going to Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank.