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 sourceParkinson’s Disease Awareness Month.
Relative to Cinco de Mayo Week.
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Labor and Employment]
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 [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]
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 [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Human Services]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
AB 1549 Krell Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 1597 Castillo Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 1583 Rogers Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 1656 Davies Assembly Third Reading
SCR 111 Niello Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 135 Patel Consent Calendar Second Day
ACR 144 Hadwick Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 122 Weber Pierson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975: 50th anniversary.
California Down Syndrome Awareness Week and Day.
Relative to Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
ACR 136 Harabedian Consent Calendar Second Day
SCR 109 Grove Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 112 Grove Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 115 Dahle Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AJR 27 Harabedian Assembly Third Reading
Relative to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
California Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Day.
Controlled substances: research.
Sales and Use Tax Law: exemption: over-the-counter medication.
California Environmental Quality Act: Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Fund: contributions.
Resource conservation: sentinel landscapes.
Veterans: registration and identification services.
Domestic Violence Offender Registration Act.
Smog check: exemption: collector motor vehicles.
Personal Income Tax Law: exclusions: military retirement pay: survivor benefit pay.
Relative to school accountability.
Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month.
Aging and Disability Resource Connection program.
Statewide Special Education Parent Advocacy Collaborative.