PHOENIX — The race for Congressional District 9 was between Republican incumbent Paul Gosar and Democratic challenger Quacy Smith. District 9 includes parts of Bullhead City, Kingman, Mohave Valley, Lake Havasu City and the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument.
The AP projects Gosar has won reelection.
Paul Gossar (R), incumbent
Gosar is running for re-election in Arizona's 9th Congressional District. He faced no challengers in the Republican primary, according to Ballotpedia.
Previously, Gossar represented Arizona's 4th District and Arizona's 1st District. He was elected to the 9th District in 2022.
Gosar was born in Wyoming and earned a bachelor's degree and D.D.S. from Creighton University. Prior to his work in politics, he worked as a dentist, according to his website.
Gosar currently serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources. He is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and he also sits on the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Gosar also serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, sits on the Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services and National Security, the Border and Foreign Affairs.
During his time in Congress, Gosar was elected to serve as Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus.
- supports building a border wall.
- is pro-life and works to reduce barriers to adoption.
- opposes efforts to create a national gun registry and "other anti-gun legislation."
12News reached out to Gossar and attempted to schedule an interview numerous times with no success.
Quacy Smith (D), challenger
Smith is a lifelong Democrat, according to his campaign website. He was born in Blythe, California, which shares a border with Arizona's 9th Congressional District. Before campaigning for Congress, Smith was a U.S. Marine, a police officer, and a Federal Investigator for the United States EEOC.
Smith also worked in pastoral ministry for 25 years, according to his campaign website. He is also the founding and managing partner of Smith & Green Attorneys at Law. As a practicing attorney, he has litigated cases in both state and federal courts, his website states.
He is an active member of several legal associations, including the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Arizona State Bar and the Maricopa County Bar Association. He is also a member of Phi Alpha Delta, which is a law fraternity.
He has a doctorate in Divinity from Feltus Theological Seminary and a J.D. from Phoenix School of Law. According to his campaign website, he has lived in the West Valley for 17 years with his wife Tiffany and their children.
According to his website, Smith:
- is pro-choice and believes "in response to the Dobbs decision, this right must be promptly and reasonably codified into law by Congress."
- advocates for moving toward a system of universal healthcare coverage.
- supports securing the border through comprehensive immigration reform.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
Decision 2024
Track all of our current updates with the upcoming elections in Arizona on our 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe for updates on all of our new uploads.