Paul Gosar Bio
Paul Anthony Gosar, born on November 27, 1958, is an American politician and former dentist who has served in the United States House of Representatives since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Gosar represents Arizona’s 9th congressional district and previously represented the 1st and 4th districts. He practiced dentistry in Flagstaff, Arizona, for more than two decades before entering politics and is known for his conservative positions on immigration, healthcare, abortion, and gun rights.
Throughout his congressional career, Gosar has built a reputation as one of the most polarizing figures in Arizona politics. He has drawn national attention for his ties to far-right movements, his censure by the House of Representatives in 2021, and his continued alignment with the most conservative wing of the Republican Party.
Early Life and Background
Paul Anthony Gosar was born on November 27, 1958, in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and raised in Pinedale, Wyoming, where he graduated from Pinedale High School in 1977. He is the eldest of seven sons and three daughters in a family with deep political roots. His paternal grandparents were Slovenian immigrants, and his maternal grandparents were Basque immigrants from Banca, on the French side of the Franco-Spanish border. His parents were devoted Republicans who attended national conventions for former presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, instilling conservative values in the household from an early age.
In 1981, Gosar earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He remained at Creighton to attend the Boyne School of Dentistry, where he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1985. His academic and professional training in dentistry shaped the next phase of his life, leading him to relocate to Arizona to establish a dental practice.
Path to US Politics
From 1989 to 2010, Paul Anthony Gosar operated a successful dental practice in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he became a respected member of the professional community. In 2001, he was named the Arizona Dental Association’s Dentist of the Year, a recognition that reflected his contributions to the field. He later served as president of the Northern Arizona Dental Society, vice-chair of the AzDA council on governmental affairs, and was inducted into the Arizona Dental Association Hall of Fame.
Gosar’s transition to politics came in 2009, when he announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives to challenge Democratic incumbent Ann Kirkpatrick in Arizona’s 1st congressional district. Though he had never run for elected office before, he quickly gained traction as a Tea Party-backed candidate, earning endorsements from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and several Arizona county sheriffs, including Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County. His grassroots conservative appeal and outsider status carried him to a primary victory and ultimately to Congress.
Paul Gosar Career
Early Career (2011-2012)
Paul Anthony Gosar won his first congressional race in November 2010, defeating Democratic incumbent Ann Kirkpatrick in Arizona’s 1st congressional district with 49.7 percent of the vote. He took office in January 2011, becoming one of the freshman lawmakers aligned with the Tea Party movement. His first term focused on fiscal conservatism, opposition to the Affordable Care Act, and a strict approach to immigration policy.
Following redistricting in Arizona, Gosar opted to run in 2012 in the newly created 4th congressional district, which absorbed much of the western portion of his old district. He won the Republican primary against Ron Gould and Rick Murphy, all but securing a second term. In the November 2012 general election, he defeated Democratic challenger Johnnie Robinson with 67 percent of the vote, establishing himself as a dominant figure in his district.
4th Congressional District Era (2013-2022)
During his time representing the 4th congressional district, Paul Anthony Gosar built a record of strong electoral performances and increasingly conservative positions. He was reelected in 2014 with 70 percent of the vote against Democratic nominee Mikel Weisser, and again in 2016 with 71 percent, this time after Weisser attempted to use Gosar’s support of Donald Trump and the Access Hollywood tape against him in campaign ads.
The 2018 election cycle brought unusual personal attention to Gosar’s campaign when six of his nine siblings publicly endorsed his Democratic opponent, David Brill, in a series of televised ads. Family members criticized his priorities and record on rural issues, but Gosar responded by calling them disgruntled supporters of Hillary Clinton. He won the race with 68.2 percent of the vote, and in 2020, he was reelected with 69.7 percent of the vote over Delina DiSanto, despite a repeat of the family opposition. This period also saw him gain attention for his opposition to the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
9th District Era (2023-Present)
After redistricting in 2021, Paul Anthony Gosar announced he would run in Arizona’s newly redrawn 9th congressional district, the successor to his former 4th district. Following Republicans’ return to the House majority in 2022, Gosar was reinstated to his committee assignments, reversing the punishment imposed after his 2021 censure. He won reelection in 2022 unopposed, continuing his hold on the region’s voters.
In November 2021, Gosar was censured by the U.S. House of Representatives in a 223-to-207 vote, largely along party lines, and removed from his committee assignments after posting a video on social media that parodied the anime series Attack on Titan. The video depicted Gosar killing a character with the face of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking one with the face of President Joe Biden. He was the 24th House member to be censured in American history. Only two Republicans, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, voted with Democrats in favor of the censure.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the most defining moments in Paul Anthony Gosar’s career came on January 6, 2021, when he and Senator Ted Cruz led a challenge to Arizona’s electoral results in the joint session of Congress. He was also among a small group of House Republicans, including Andy Biggs and Mo Brooks, who reportedly planned pressure tactics aimed at overturning the election outcome. In February 2021, he delivered the keynote speech at the America First Political Action Conference hosted by white nationalist Nick Fuentes, an appearance that drew sharp bipartisan criticism, including from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He has also drawn controversy for claiming that Arizona’s voting machines were faulty, sharing misinformation about the Robb Elementary School shooting, and calling for the execution of General Mark Milley in a 2023 email.
Paul Gosar Career Wins
Paul Anthony Gosar has won every congressional election he has contested since his initial run in 2010, consistently earning overwhelming margins in his reliably Republican districts. He has represented Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than a decade, moving through the 1st, 4th, and 9th districts as a result of redistricting.
Congressional Election Highlights
Gosar first won his seat in 2010 by defeating Democratic incumbent Ann Kirkpatrick in Arizona’s 1st congressional district with 49.7 percent of the vote. After moving to the 4th district, he won in 2012 with 67 percent of the vote, followed by 70 percent in 2014, 71 percent in 2016, 68.2 percent in 2018, and 69.7 percent in 2020. In 2022, he ran unopposed in the new 9th district, securing another term in Congress.
Other Wins and Achievements
Before entering politics, Paul Anthony Gosar earned notable recognition in his dental career, including being named the Arizona Dental Association’s Dentist of the Year in 2001 and being inducted into the Arizona Dental Association Hall of Fame. He also served as the association’s president from 2004 to 2005, reflecting his standing within the Arizona dental community.
Paul Gosar Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Paul Anthony Gosar was raised in a large family in Pinedale, Wyoming, as the eldest of seven sons and three daughters. His parents were devoted Republicans who attended national conventions for former presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and his paternal grandparents were Slovenian immigrants, while his maternal grandparents were Basque immigrants from Banca, on the French side of the Franco-Spanish border. His brother Pete is a former chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party and ran for governor of Wyoming in 2010 and 2014, highlighting a politically divided family that has sometimes spilled into public view.
Personal Life
Paul Anthony Gosar married Maude Connor in 1988, and the couple has three children. The family has been based in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Gosar operated his dental practice for more than two decades. Gosar is Catholic, though he has publicly criticized Pope Francis’s papacy, even boycotting the Pope’s 2015 address to a joint meeting of Congress. He has also spoken about his struggles with arthritis and two compressed vertebrae in his back, conditions he attributes to years spent hunched over patients during his dental career, as well as genetics and a history of playing rugby.