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
4,072 events, each with its sourceAB 843 Garcia Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 992 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 288 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 543 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 82 Ward Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1224 Valencia Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1411 Sharp-Collins Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 825 Limón Senate Third Reading By Schiavo
AB 1520 W., P. & W. Concurrence in Senate Amendments By PAPAN
AB 36 Soria Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 578 Smallwood-Cuevas Senate Third Reading By Kalra
AB 1525 JUD. Concurrence in Senate Amendments By KALRA
SB 376 Valladares Senate Third Reading By Quirk-Silva
AB 1414 Ransom Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1370 Patterson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 827 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 461 Ahrens Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1028 Fong Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 483 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1521 Judiciary Concurrence in Senate Amendments By KALRA
AB 1511 Elections Concurrence in Senate Amendments By PELLERIN
AB 450 Carrillo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 450 Menjivar Senate Third Reading By Bauer-Kahan
AB 1037 Elhawary Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1423 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 432 Bauer-Kahan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 818 Ávila Farías Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 573 Rogers Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 723 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 292 Cervantes Senate Third Reading By Harabedian
AB 1502 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 44 Schultz Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 83 Umberg Senate Third Reading By Petrie-Norris
AB 812 Lowenthal Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 727 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in
SB 243 Padilla Senate Third Reading By Kalra
AB 1513 Elections Concurrence in Senate Amendments By PELLERIN
AB 1197 Calderon Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 289 Haney Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 382 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 509 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Bains
AB 1074 Patel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1514 L. & E. Concurrence in Senate Amendments By ORTEGA
SB 418 Menjivar Third Reading Urgency By Bonta
SB 500 Stern Senate Third Reading By Petrie-Norris
AB 374 Nguyen Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1329 Ortega Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 786 Solache Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 527 Papan Concurrence in Senate Amendments