Jeff Gonzalez lives in Indio, the home base for a public life that has moved through the Marine Corps, two churches and two campaigns for the state Assembly. A Republican, he won office in 2024 by defeating Coachella School Board Trustee Joey Acuña and flipping a majority Latino district. It was his second try: six years earlier, he had challenged incumbent Democrat Eduardo Garcia and lost by a wide margin. Gonzalez spent two decades in the Marines and became a pastor after retiring. He and his wife, Christine, have four children, including a son diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
THE JOB BEFORE THE JOB
Gonzalez enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at 19. His service included deployments to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as service at U.S. embassies in Honduras and the Czech Republic. He retired after two decades.
Gonzalez then became a pastor at Southwest Church in Indian Wells and Saddleback Church in Orange County. Those posts followed a military career that included the combat-zone deployments and service at the two U.S. embassies.
Gonzalez earned a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from National University, followed by a Master of Science in organizational leadership from the same university. His record includes military service, church work and studies in emergency management and organizational leadership.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Gonzalez first sought a seat in the California State Assembly in 2018, running in the 56th District against Eduardo Garcia. Garcia was an incumbent Democrat, and Gonzalez lost by a wide margin.
He ran again in 2024, after Garcia retired. This time the general-election opponent was Joey Acuña, a trustee on the Coachella School Board. Gonzalez defeated him. A Republican, Gonzalez flipped a majority Latino district.
The six years between Gonzalez’s two Assembly races separate a wide-margin loss from a winning campaign. In 2018, he faced an incumbent assemblymember; in 2024, after Garcia retired, he faced a school board trustee. Gonzalez returned to the same level of office and won on the second attempt.
WHAT TO KNOW
Gonzalez’s public record includes 20 years in the Marines, pastoral work at Southwest Church and Saddleback Church, a wide-margin defeat in the 2018 Assembly race and a successful return in 2024.
The majority Latino 36th District includes eastern Riverside County and Imperial County in the Low Desert of southeastern California. Gonzalez, a Republican, flipped the district in 2024.
Gonzalez and his wife, Christine, have four children. One is an adult son diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
- State Assembly · Assembly District 36 · 2024–present
Jeff Gonzalez lives in Indio, the home base for a public life that has moved through the Marine Corps, two churches and two campaigns for the state Assembly. A Republican, he won office in 2024 by defeating Coachella School Board Trustee Joey Acuña and flipping a majority Latino district. It was his second try: six years earlier, he had challenged incumbent Democrat Eduardo Garcia and lost by a wide margin. Gonzalez spent two decades in the Marines and became a pastor after retiring. He and his wife, Christine, have four children, including a son diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
THE JOB BEFORE THE JOB
Gonzalez enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at 19. His service included deployments to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as service at U.S. embassies in Honduras and the Czech Republic. He retired after two decades.
Gonzalez then became a pastor at Southwest Church in Indian Wells and Saddleback Church in Orange County. Those posts followed a military career that included the combat-zone deployments and service at the two U.S. embassies.
Gonzalez earned a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from National University, followed by a Master of Science in organizational leadership from the same university. His record includes military service, church work and studies in emergency management and organizational leadership.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Gonzalez first sought a seat in the California State Assembly in 2018, running in the 56th District against Eduardo Garcia. Garcia was an incumbent Democrat, and Gonzalez lost by a wide margin.
He ran again in 2024, after Garcia retired. This time the general-election opponent was Joey Acuña, a trustee on the Coachella School Board. Gonzalez defeated him. A Republican, Gonzalez flipped a majority Latino district.
The six years between Gonzalez’s two Assembly races separate a wide-margin loss from a winning campaign. In 2018, he faced an incumbent assemblymember; in 2024, after Garcia retired, he faced a school board trustee. Gonzalez returned to the same level of office and won on the second attempt.
WHAT TO KNOW
Gonzalez’s public record includes 20 years in the Marines, pastoral work at Southwest Church and Saddleback Church, a wide-margin defeat in the 2018 Assembly race and a successful return in 2024.
The majority Latino 36th District includes eastern Riverside County and Imperial County in the Low Desert of southeastern California. Gonzalez, a Republican, flipped the district in 2024.
Gonzalez and his wife, Christine, have four children. One is an adult son diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
The record
4,179 events, each with its sourceAB 1704 Mark González Assembly Third Reading
AB 1916 Lee Assembly Third Reading
AB 2011 Hart Assembly Third Reading
AB 2280 Johnson Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 2323 McKinnor Assembly Third Reading
AB 2559 Ward Assembly Third Reading
AB 2663 Rogers Third Reading Urgency
AB 2691 Addis Assembly Third Reading
AB 2731 Addis Assembly Third Reading
Relative to California’s janitorial and cleaning workforce.
Black Health Equity Advocacy Week.
AB 1587 Ta Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AB 1673 Hadwick Assembly Third Reading
AB 1689 Quirk-Silva Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1736 Pellerin Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1760 Arambula Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AB 1781 Michelle Rodriguez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1908 McKinnor Assembly Third Reading
AB 1951 Dixon Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1981 Aguiar-Curry Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1982 Lowenthal Assembly Third Reading
AB 2052 Stefani Assembly Third Reading
AB 2056 Alvarez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 2086 Ellis Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 2155 Aguiar-Curry Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 2423 Patterson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 2502 Pellerin Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AB 2542 Patterson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 2782 Judiciary Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 106 Elhawary Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 126 Tangipa Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 137 Ransom Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 142 Ransom Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 162 Gallagher Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 164 Bains Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 166 Ávila Farías Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 169 DeMaio Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 138 Ashby Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Youth Mental Health Awareness Week in California.
California Physical Education Week.
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Relative to Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.
Wildland-Urban Interface Preparedness and Resilience Day.