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
3,929 events, each with its sourceDo pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Insurance]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
AB 1987 Aguiar-Curry Assembly Third Reading
AB 1977 Irwin Assembly Third Reading
AB 1622 Blanca Rubio Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 2153 Berman Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1594 Harabedian Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1571 Michelle Rodriguez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1551 Krell Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1834 Patel Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 2067 Patel Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 96 Caloza Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 139 Wahab Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 133 Grayson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 134 Wahab Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1853 Pellerin Consent Calendar Second Day
SCR 127 Allen Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 2180 Ward Assembly Third Reading
SCR 114 Grove Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 110 Grove Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 2107 Pellerin Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Privacy and Consumer Protection]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Military and Veterans Affairs] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Privacy and Consumer Protection]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]
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 as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Employment and Retirement]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Privacy and Consumer Protection]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Revenue and Taxation]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
AB 2004 Alanis Assembly Third Reading
AB 2290 Lackey Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 161 Addis Consent Calendar Second Day