Meet the Congressional District 9 candidates

Neither party's candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona Congressional District 9 faces a challenge in the July 30 primary election. Here are the candidates:

Paul Gosar

Gosar is the incumbent Republican representative for the district, having won the 2022 election in the reshaped district in something of a walkover against two write-in Democrat candidates. District 9 takes in virtually all of Western Arizona, including Yuma, Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City and Kingman, plus virtually all of Goodyear, Buckeye and Litchfield Park, most of Surprise and parts of Glendale.

Before being elected to Congress in 2010, Gosar owned his dental practice and was a small businessman in Flagstaff for 25 years. He lives in Bullhead City. Gosar serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources where he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and sits on the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

According to his website Gosar is focused on fighting illegal immigration, securing the border, holding Washington bureaucrats accountable, cutting wasteful government spending, fighting woke ideology and the weaponization of the federal government and ensuring that he is representing the interests of his constituents.

Quacy Smith

Arizona Congressional District 9

Quacy Smith is the Democrat candidate for District 9. The Blythe, Calif., native served in the United States Marine Corps, also as a police officer, and as a Federal Investigator for the United States Employment Opportunity Commission.

Quacy is the Founding/Managing Partner of Smith & Green Attorneys at Law. The West Valley resident holds a Doctorate in Divinity from Feltus Theological Seminary and earned his Juris Doctorate from Phoenix School of Law.

According to his website, Smith is an advocate for women’s reproductive rights, supporting legislation that ensures a woman’s right to choose within a reasonable framework of regulations. He advocates for securing borders to prevent illegal entry while supporting comprehensive immigration reform and emphasizes enhanced border security without divisive rhetoric and realistic pathways to legal status for undocumented immigrants. Smith advocates for tax incentives, infrastructure investments, and regulatory reforms to promote growth.