Paul Gosar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Gosar
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Official portrait, 2016
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Ann Kirkpatrick |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Paul Anthony Gosar
November 27, 1958 Rock Springs, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Maude Connor
(m. 1988) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Pete Gosar (brother) |
| Education | Creighton University (BS, DDS) |
| Website | |
Paul Anthony Gosar (born November 27, 1958) is an American politician and former dentist. He has served as a U.S. Representative for Arizona since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Gosar is known for his conservative and populist political views. He is a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump. ..... He has also sparked debate for his connections to far-right groups and figures.
In 2021, Gosar voted to challenge the results of the 2020 United States presidential election. Later that year, the U.S. House of Representatives formally censured him. A censure is a strong, formal disapproval of a member's actions. This happened after he posted an animated video that showed a character with his face in a violent scene with other politicians. He was also removed from his committee jobs. He was given his committee assignments back in 2023.
As of March 2025, Gosar and David Schweikert became the most senior members of Arizona's group in Congress after the death of Representative Raúl Grijalva.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Paul Gosar was born in Rock Springs, Wyoming. He was the oldest of ten children. His father's family was from Slovenia, and his mother's family was from the Basque region of Europe. He grew up in Pinedale, Wyoming.
Gosar's parents were dedicated Republicans. His brother, Pete Gosar, is a member of the Wyoming Democratic Party and ran for governor of Wyoming.
Gosar went to Creighton University in Nebraska. He earned a degree in science in 1981 and became a dentist in 1985. For over 20 years, he ran a dental practice in Flagstaff, Arizona. He was named the Arizona Dental Association's "Dentist of the Year" in 2001.
U.S. House of Representatives
How He Got Elected
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Before running for Congress, Gosar had never held an elected office. In 2010, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and won. He was seen as a candidate supported by the Tea Party, a conservative political movement.
Over the years, the boundaries of his district changed. He ran in different districts in Arizona but was reelected each time. His district has mostly been in a heavily Republican part of the state.
In his 2018 and 2020 elections, six of his nine siblings publicly supported his Democratic opponents. They appeared in TV ads saying that they did not agree with their brother's political views. Despite this, Gosar won both elections with a large majority of the vote.
Actions in Congress
Gosar has been involved in several notable events during his time in Congress.
In 2016, he introduced a bill to take away the Presidential Medal of Freedom from comedian Bill Cosby because of serious accusations against him. The bill did not pass.
In 2020, he tweeted a fake photo of former President Barack Obama with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The photo was edited to look like they were meeting, but the meeting never happened. When people criticized him for spreading false information, Gosar said, "No one said this wasn't photoshopped."
Censure in 2021
In November 2021, Gosar posted an edited animated video on social media. The video showed a cartoon character with his face attacking characters with the faces of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden.
Many people, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, called the video a threat. The House of Representatives voted to censure him, which is a formal way of showing strong disapproval. He was the 24th House member in U.S. history to be censured. He was also removed from his committees. After the vote, he retweeted the same video.
When Republicans took control of the House in 2023, Gosar was given his committee assignments back.
Controversial Appearances
Gosar has attended events with controversial figures. In 2021 and 2022, he spoke at the America First Political Action Conference. The event was hosted by Nick Fuentes, a political commentator known for holding extreme views on race and for making anti-Jewish remarks.
Many politicians, including some Republicans, criticized Gosar for attending. Gosar defended his appearance, saying it was important to listen to young people who are becoming active in politics.
Challenging the 2020 Election
After the 2020 presidential election, Gosar was a leading voice in claiming the election was unfair. He joined other Republicans in asking the U.S. Attorney General to investigate claims of voter fraud.
Gosar spoke at "Stop the Steal" rallies. He falsely claimed that voting machines in Arizona were broken and that there were other problems with votes in states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
On January 6, 2021, Congress met to officially count the electoral votes. Gosar and Senator Ted Cruz led a challenge against Arizona's election results. The count was interrupted when a crowd of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building.
After the attack, three of Gosar's siblings said he should be removed from Congress for his role in challenging the election.
Political Positions
Gosar is known for his very conservative political views. During Donald Trump's presidency, Gosar voted in line with the president's positions most of the time. During Joe Biden's presidency, he has voted in line with the president's positions much less often.
LGBT Rights
Gosar does not support expanding LGBT rights. In December 2022, he voted against a law that would protect same-sex and interracial marriage rights across the country. In 2023, he wrote in an email that a general should be punished for supporting certain lifestyles.
Views on Pope Francis
In September 2015, Gosar said he would not attend Pope Francis's speech to Congress. He said he would only go if the Pope talked about certain issues instead of climate change. Gosar called climate science "questionable." He was the only member of Congress not to attend the Pope's speech.
Economy
Gosar voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. He was criticized for promoting funding for an airport that he had voted against. In June 2020, Gosar suggested a bill that would make the Federal Reserve print $500 bills again, with Donald Trump's picture on them.
Environment
In 2015, Gosar received a very low score from an environmental group. This is partly because he does not believe in global warming. In 2017, he proposed a law that would allow private companies to drill for oil, gas, and minerals in national parks. The Washington Post said Gosar is "no friend of environmentalists."
In September 2015, Gosar tried to remove the head of the EPA, Gina McCarthy. He claimed she had lied about environmental rules. An EPA spokesperson said his attempt had "zero merit." Gosar also supports changing the Endangered Species Act.
Foreign Policy
In 2019, Gosar supported a letter asking to limit the use of military force without Congress's approval. He was one of 60 representatives who voted against criticizing Trump's decision to remove troops from Syria.
In 2020, Gosar voted against a defense law that would stop the president from removing soldiers from Afghanistan without Congress's approval. In 2021, he voted against a measure condemning a military takeover in Myanmar. He also voted to repeal the 2002 law that allowed the Iraq War.
In September 2021, Gosar was among 75 House Republicans who voted against a defense law that would require women to be drafted. In February 2022, he supported a bill that would stop military aid to Ukraine if it meant less money for the U.S. border with Mexico. In October 2022, Gosar invited the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to Arizona for peace talks.
Gun Rights
Gosar believes the Second Amendment is very important. He has said he will "continue to oppose efforts to restrict" gun rights. He has received high ratings from gun rights groups.
Health Care
Gosar was against Obamacare. He supports people choosing their own doctors, types of care, and insurance plans. He used to support adding fluoride to water to prevent tooth decay. However, in 2022, he spoke against it, saying it might reduce intelligence.
In September 2024, Congressman Gosar introduced a law that would allow people to sue companies that make vaccines for injuries. He said there was not enough science about vaccine safety.
Immigration
The Arizona Republic has called Gosar "one of the strongest opponents" to giving legal status to undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. Gosar believes the border should be secured immediately. He is against giving amnesty to people who break immigration laws. He has supported changing the 14th Amendment to remove birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants.
Gosar supported building a wall along the Mexico–United States border. He believes it will help stop gang activity. He has also suggested stopping all immigration for 10 years.
Ties to Extreme Views
In October 2017, Gosar suggested that a white nationalist rally was "created by the left." He also suggested that the organizer of the rally might have been supported by George Soros. Seven of Gosar's siblings wrote a letter saying his claims about Soros were "despicable" and "without a shred of truth."
In July 2018, Gosar spoke at a rally in London supporting a controversial activist. He emphasized the importance of free speech. In 2019, Gosar tried to help another representative, Steve King, get back on House committees after King made remarks seen as racist. Gosar agreed that King's words were taken out of context.
In January 2021, The New York Times reported on Gosar's connections to certain groups whose members were involved in the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.
Staff Member with Extreme Views
Since November 2021, Gosar has employed Wade Searle as his digital director. Searle is reported to be a supporter of a white supremacist leader. Searle is also said to run social media accounts that have posted anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.
Accusations Against FBI and DOJ
In February 2018, Gosar posted on Facebook that certain members of the FBI and U.S. Justice Department had committed "treason." He specifically named former FBI and Justice Department officials. Gosar said he would ask the Attorney General to prosecute these "traitors."
Support for Impeaching Biden Administration Officials
During the 117th Congress, Gosar supported three efforts to impeach President Joe Biden. He also supported efforts to impeach Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
Personal Life
Gosar is married to Maude Gosar, and they have three children. He is Catholic.
Gosar has had health problems with his back, including two compressed vertebrae that needed surgery. He believes this was caused by his years working as a dentist.
In 2018, six of his siblings made news by appearing in campaign ads for his political opponent. They said they wanted to protect their family's name and that they did not agree with his political actions.
Images for kids
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Paul Gosar with Donald Trump in 2019
See also
In Spanish: Paul Gosar para niños
- List of United States representatives expelled, censured, or reprimanded
