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 sourceSB 647 Hurtado Senate Third Reading By Arambula
SB 848 Pérez Senate Third Reading By Wicks
SB 638 Padilla Senate Third Reading By Fong
AB 1032 Harabedian Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 245 Gipson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1009 Blanca Rubio Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1007 Blanca Rubio Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1005 Davies Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 461 Padilla Senate Third Reading By Blanca Rubio
SB 80 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Harabedian
AB 986 Muratsuchi Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 635 Durazo Senate Third Reading By Carrillo
AB 979 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 978 Hoover Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 969 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 75 Smallwood-Cuevas Senate Third Reading By Quirk-Silva
SB 451 Archuleta Senate Third Reading By AHRENS
AB 478 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 476 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 468 Gabriel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 744 Cabaldon Senate Third Reading By Bryan
AB 462 Lowenthal Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 775 Ashby Senate Third Reading By Berman
AB 460 Chen Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 63 Wiener Senate Third Reading By Wilson
SB 761 Ashby Senate Third Reading By Tangipa
AB 858 Lee Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 403 Blakespear Senate Third Reading By Zbur
AB 851 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 400 Cortese Third Reading Urgency By Calderon
AB 422 Jackson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 419 Connolly Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 798 Calderon Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 406 Schiavo Concurrence - Urgency Added
SB 385 Seyarto Third Reading Urgency By Irwin
AB 777 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 364 Strickland Senate Third Reading By Ta
AB 766 Sharp-Collins Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 747 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 740 Harabedian Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 93 Papan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1529 Housing and Community De Concurrence in Senate Amendments By HANEY
AB 1527 Soria Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 1487 Addis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 692 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 596 Menjivar Senate Third Reading By Schiavo
AB 1466 Hart Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 753 Cortese Senate Third Reading By Carrillo
AB 1445 Haney Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 7 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Ward