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Paul Gosar
| Paul Gosar | ||
 | ||
| U.S. House, Arizona, District 4 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 2011-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 2 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Predecessor | Ann Kirkpatrick (D) | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | November 2, 2010 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Campaign $ | $2,319,727 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | Creighton University, 1981 | |
| Other | DDS, Creighton Boyne School of Dentistry, 1985 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | October 27, 1958 | |
| Place of birth | Rock Springs, WY | |
| Profession | Owner, Dentistry Practice | |
| Net worth | $982,501 | |
| Religion | Catholic | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Due to redistricting, Gosar ran for re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Arizona's 4th District. He won the general election on November 6, 2012.[1]
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Gosar is a "rank-and-file Republican".[2]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Gosar's academic, professional and political career:[3]
- 1981: Graduated from Creighton University with B.S.
- 1985: Graduated from Creighton University with D.D.S.
- 2011-Present: U.S Representative from Arizona
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
Gosar serves on the following committees:[4][5]
- Natural Resources Committee
- Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
- Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs
- Subcommittee on Water and Power
- Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Subcommittee National Security, Homeland Defense, and Foreign Operations
- Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory Affairs
2011-2012
- Natural Resources Committee
- Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
- Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs
- Subcommittee on Water and Power
- Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management
- Subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives, Vice Chair
- Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations
Issues
Copper mine collaboration
Gosar teamed up with his former 2010 campaign rival, Ann Kirkpatrick, in order to pass legislation that would allow one of the world's largest undeveloped copper resources to be mined by Resolution Copper Mining Co. The Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act would give 2,400 acres of the Tonto National Forest to the company in exchange for over 5,000 acres of land the company owns throughout the state for conservation.[6]
This is a rare bi-partisan partnership in which two former campaign opponents are both representing their state in the U.S. House, and even collaborating to pass a significant bill. Kirkpatrick said the following about the partnership, "We both immediately put aside partisan politics for the needs of the people in the district. We were able to find common ground on something that should never be a partisan issue — jobs." Gosar echoed similar sentiments with his statement, "We were elected to serve our districts, and that demands putting bygones aside. That’s what leadership’s all about. You develop a thick skin. And once all the chips have been played, you make sure you’re working on behalf of Arizona."[6]
Not everyone sees the collaboration as positive. Many environmental groups and American Indian tribes raised concerns about water contamination and the destruction of recreational and religious sites.[6]
Campaign themes
2012
Gosar's campaign website listed the following issues:[7]
- Second Amendment
- Excerpt: "As a gun owner and member of the NRA, I have done and will do everything I can to ensure that the federal government does not infringe on the right to bear arms. The right to bear arms is not only enjoyed by millions of Americans for recreation, but our Founders recognized that it was critical to include this right as the Second Amendment to our Constitution in order to allow individuals to protect themselves, their families, and properties."
- Health Care
- Excerpt: "As a health care provider for over twenty-five years and a member of the Doctors Caucus, Dr.Gosar has lead the charge in the House to reform the health care system and put forth free market solutions to increase access and decrease costs to the consumer."
- Taxes
- Excerpt: "We must work together to restore common sense, no-nonsense values back to Washington before we loose this Republic all together."
- Immigration
- Excerpt: "The Federal Government has completely failed its constitutional, legal and moral duty to secure our borders. As a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense, and Foreign Operations, Dr. Gosar has held the Obama Administration’s feet to the fire over its failures to protect the citizens of Arizona and our country"
- Energy
- Excerpt: "Energy independence is a must. It is a matter of national security. Arizona is rich with natural resources and has diverse climates that make our state well-equipped for an energy driven economic recovery."
Specific votes
Fiscal Cliff
Gosar voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257/167 vote on January 1, 2013.[8]
Elections
2012
Due to redistricting, Gosar ran for re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Arizona's 4th District. He defeated Ron Gould and Rick Murphy in the Republican primary on August 28, 2012. He then defeated Johnnie Robinson (D), Joe Pamelia (L), and Richard Grayson (Americans Elect) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[9][10][11]
| U.S. House, Arizona, District 4 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Paul Gosar |
66.8% | 162,907 | |
| Democratic | Johnnie Robinson | 28.4% | 69,154 | |
| Libertarian | Joe Pamelia | 3.8% | 9,306 | |
| Independent | Richard Grayson | 1% | 2,393 | |
| Total Votes | 243,760 | |||
| Source: Arizona Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Full history
To view the full congressional electoral history for Paul Gosar, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Gosar is available dating back to 2010. Based on available campaign finance records, Gosar raised a total of $2,319,727 during that time period. This information was last updated on March 22, 2013.[13]
| Paul Gosar's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | US House (Arizona, District 1) |  |
$1,150,701 | |
| 2010 | US House (Arizona, District 4) | |
$1,169,026 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $2,319,727 | |||
2012
Gosar won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Gosar's campaign committee raised a total of $1,150,701 and spent $1,126,649.[14]
| U.S. House, Arizona District 4, 2012 - Paul Gosar Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $1,150,701 |
| Total Spent | $1,126,649 |
| Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $0 |
| Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $0 |
| Top contributors to Paul Gosar's campaign committee | |
| Services Group of America | $24,500 |
| Pinnacle West Capital | $12,250 |
| American Dental Assn | $10,500 |
| American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry | $10,000 |
| American Assn of Orthodontists | $10,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Health Professionals | $276,701 |
| Leadership PACs | $65,397 |
| Retired | $45,466 |
| Electric Utilities | $31,050 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $27,500 |
2010
Gosar won election to the U.S. House in 2010. During that election cycle, Gosar's campaign committee raised a total of $1,169,026 and spent $1,168,287.[15]
His top 5 contributors between 2009-2010 were:
| U.S. House, Arizona District 1, 2010 - Paul Gosar Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $1,169,026 |
| Total Spent | $1,168,287 |
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $1,957,922 |
| Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $1,956,364 |
| Top contributors to Paul Gosar's campaign committee | |
| Services Group Of America | $42,850 |
| American Dental Assn | $11,750 |
| American Assn of Orthodontists | $10,000 |
| American Assn/Oral & Maxillofacial Surg | $10,000 |
| National Restaurant Assn | $10,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Health Professionals | $315,191 |
| Leadership PACs | $121,550 |
| Retired | $51,669 |
| Food Processing & Sales | $43,850 |
| Candidate Committees | $30,500 |
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Gosar missed 77 of 1,695 roll call votes from January 2011 to March 2013. This amounts to 4.5%, which is worse than the median of 2.2% among current congressional representatives as of March 2013.[16]
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Gosar paid his congressional staff a total of $829,222 in 2011. He ranked 67th on the list of the lowest paid Republican Representative Staff Salaries and he ranked 75th overall of the lowest paid Representative Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, Arizona ranked 47th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[17]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Gosar's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $515,003 and $1,449,999. That averages to $982,501, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2011 of $7,859,232. His average net worth did not change from 2010.[18]
2010
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Gosar's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $515,003 and $1,449,999. That averages to $982,501, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2010 of $7,561,133.[19]
National Journal vote ratings
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
2012
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Gosar ranked 41st in the conservative rankings in 2012.[20]
2011
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Gosar ranked 76th in the conservative rankings.[21]
Political positions
Percentage voting with party
The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Gosar votes with the Republican Party 93.6% of the time. This ranks 84th among the 242 House Republicans in 2011.[22]
Personal
Gosar and his wife, Maude, have three children.
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Paul + Gosar + Arizona + House
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Paul Gosar News Feed
- Guest Column: Bipartisan efforts in Washington reaping results for Arizona - Arizona Daily Star
- Tea Party protests IRS headquarters - Examiner.com
- Rep. Paul Gosar's Major Jobs Legislation Successfully Passes Committee - Tucson Citizen
- Rep. Paul Gosar Seeks Truth in Benghazi Investigation Featured - Prescott eNews
- Plan to allow copper mine near Superior clears a congressional hurdle - Arizona Republic
- Editorial: Weekend viewpoint - TriValley Central
- Gosar, Kirkpatrick legislation for proposed Arizona copper mine gets committee ... - The Republic
- House Republicans' Craziest Arguments Against Immigration Reform - ThinkProgress
- Gosar Speaks Out on Immigration Reform - Prescott eNews
- GOSAR: Wasting American dollars on hostile countries - Washington Times
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External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Legislation:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ ABC News, "General Election Results 2012-Arizona," November 7, 2012
- ↑ Gov Track "Gosar" Accessed May 24, 2012
- ↑ Biographical Director of the United States Congress "Paul Gosar," Accessed October 30, 2011
- ↑ CQ.com - Roll Call, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress," accessed January 18, 2013
- ↑ Committee on Oversight & Government Reform, "Issa Announces 113th Congress Organizational Meeting, Majority Subcommittee Assignments," January 16, 2013
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Azcentral.com, "Job creation at copper plant credited for Gosar-Kirkpatrick alliance," February 17, 2013
- ↑ Campaign website, Issues
- ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ ABC News, "General Election Results 2012-Arizona," November 7, 2012
- ↑ Official primary candidate list
- ↑ Associated Press primary results
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
- ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Paul Gosar," Accessed March 22, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Paul Gosar 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed February 19, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Paul Gosar 2010 Election Cycle," Accessed October 30, 2011
- ↑ GovTrack, "Paul Gosar," Accessed April 2, 2013
- ↑ LegiStorm "Paul Gosar"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Gosar, (R-Arizona), 2011"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Gosar, (R-Arizona), 2010"
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," February 23, 2012
- ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party," October 30, 2011
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ann Kirkpatrick |
U.S. House - Arizona District 4 2011-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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