Paul Gosar is the incumbent U.S. Representative for Arizona's 9th Congressional District, first elected in 2010 and seeking a ninth term in 2026. A dentist by profession and member of the House Freedom Caucus, he won the uncontested Republican primary on July 21, 2026, with 67,577 votes and holds a large campaign finance advantage over his Democratic challenger. The district is rated Solid Republican by the Cook Political Report.
Gosar says the One Big Beautiful Bill Act strengthens and protects Medicaid by prioritizing expectant mothers, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families, while ending taxpayer-funded health coverage for undocumented immigrants. He voted for H.R. 1 on May 22, 2025; the House Clerk records his vote as Yea.
Gosar supports reducing taxes and federal spending, including his 2025 vote for H.R. 1, which he said would cut taxes for families, eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, and reduce spending. In 2026, he also backed a three-year pause and tighter restrictions on new H-1B visas, arguing that American workers should be prioritized, and promoted Arizona economic activity through support for the Yuma Proving Ground and copper production.
Gosar has supported an “all-of-the-above” energy approach and legislation encouraging solar and wind development on federal public lands, including revenue sharing with host states and counties. In a 2025 interview, he said Arizona has “great solar” and that “we can’t turn our back on it,” while also stating that energy technologies should compete without subsidies; no newer climate/energy statement or vote after August 27, 2026 was identified in the searches conducted.
Paul Gosar has a position opposed to abortion rights and broader reproductive-freedom protections. In the 119th Congress, he voted for H.R. 21, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and Reproductive Freedom for All's 2025 scorecard records him at 0% on its reproductive-freedom votes; his official congressional issues page also characterizes Roe v. Wade as wrongly decided and says abortion-related issues should generally be reserved to the states when not constitutionally delegated to the federal government.
Gosar supports stricter immigration enforcement, including securing the southern border, enforcing existing immigration laws, opposing amnesty for unauthorized immigrants, and supporting expanded ICE detention capacity. He also supports sharply restricting employment-based immigration: in a May 2026 congressional opinion piece, he backed a three-year pause on new H-1B visas, ending OPT, raising salary requirements, and requiring employers to show they could not find qualified American workers.
Gosar describes the Second Amendment as an individual right that should not be infringed and says he will oppose unconstitutional gun restrictions. In a February 25, 2026 congressional-office statement accompanying his introduction of H.R. 7678, the Gun-owner Registration Information Protection Act (GRIP Act), he supported prohibiting federal funds from being used to create or maintain firearm-owner registries and said lawfully exercising Second Amendment rights should not result in personal information being tracked or exposed.
Gosar describes his foreign-policy approach as “America First,” emphasizing U.S. leadership and a stronger posture abroad. His official Foreign Affairs page supports close U.S.-Israel relations and Israel’s right to self-defense, calls for pressure on Iran and terrorist groups, and states his opposition to U.S. involvement in and military assistance to Ukraine.
Gosar describes his position in terms of protecting constitutional liberties and applying laws equally, while favoring an originalist interpretation of the Constitution and limiting federal authority where powers are not expressly delegated. His official issue materials specifically emphasize Second Amendment rights for law-abiding citizens and equal enforcement of immigration laws; the materials reviewed did not identify a newer, issue-specific civil-rights platform published after August 27, 2026.
Gosar supports shifting education authority from the federal government to states, parents, school boards, and local communities, and favors charter-school options. His official education platform rejects a federally imposed national curriculum and calls for returning education matters to the local level; consistent with that position, he cosponsored H.R. 899 in the 119th Congress, which would terminate the Department of Education on December 31, 2026. He also cosponsored H.R. 7661, the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, introduced in February 2026.
Gosar has supported using artificial intelligence to identify waste and fraud in federal programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, while advocating human oversight for high-stakes decisions. In May 2026, he proposed an amendment to the FY2027 VA appropriations bill that would bar the VA from using AI to make final decisions approving or denying disability-compensation claims; his spokesman said AI should support, not replace, human decision-makers in such cases. The amendment was proposed, and the available report does not establish that it became law.
Gosar supports election-integrity measures and emphasizes securing ballots. He voted for the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) on April 10, 2025, which would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, and his official House site highlights his 2021 Securing America's Elections Act. He has also said voters are overwhelmingly concerned about election integrity and that ballots must be secure.
Gosar emphasizes protecting Arizona's local control over education and water resources, arguing that states, parents, school boards, and local communities should make education decisions and that Western water rights should remain managed by states or private owners. In May 2026, he introduced H.R. 8686 to expand the Yuma Proving Ground's federal land buffer while preserving public access, conservation, wildlife and cultural-resource protections, utility access, and regional infrastructure; he described the installation as important to Arizona's economy and defense infrastructure.
Gosar says the One Big Beautiful Bill Act strengthens and protects Medicaid by prioritizing expectant mothers, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families, while ending taxpayer-funded health coverage for undocumented immigrants. He voted for H.R. 1 on May 22, 2025; the House Clerk records his vote as Yea.
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Background
Career History
U.S. Representative2011 – Present
U.S. House of Representatives
Representing Arizona's 4th and later 9th Congressional Districts.
Dentist1985 – 2010
Private practice
Operated a dental practice in Flagstaff, Arizona, before being elected to Congress in 2010.
Chairman2017 – 2021
Congressional Western Caucus
Elected chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus for the 115th and 116th Congresses.
President2004 – 2005
Arizona Dental Association
Served as president of the Arizona Dental Association; previously named its Dentist of the Year in 2001.
Education
Creighton University School of DentistryDoctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) in Dentistry (1985)
Creighton UniversityBachelor of Science in Science (1981)
Top Donors
Raised approximately $580,000 in the 2026 cycle as of July 1, 2026, with $490,000 from individuals and $85,000 from PACs; Arizona donors contributed about $250,000. Top PAC gifts include $10,000 from the Anti-Woke Fund, $2,500 from Halliburton Company PAC, and $1,000 from the NRA. Reported top employing industries include construction/property management (Pride Contracting, HCSS, Marwest Services, Nogales Property Management), agriculture/food (Delta Fresh), and crypto (Ripple Labs).
Voted with the conservative line on Heritage Action's 119th Congress scorecard (100% session score; 92% lifetime) and received a 0% League of Conservation Voters score in 2025. He voted for the SAVE Act requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, opposed Ukraine aid resolutions (e.g., voted Nay on H.Res. 956 in 2022), and has sponsored bills chiefly on public lands/natural resources, immigration, and crime/law enforcement. He was censured and stripped of committee assignments by the House on November 17, 2021, after posting a violent animated video depicting the killing of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.