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 sourceBe adopted. To third reading
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 [Human Services]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AJR 16 Alvarez Consent Calendar Second Day
SB 765 Niello Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AJR 15 Alanis Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 119 Budget and Fiscal Review Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
AB 1416 Ta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SCR 74 Ochoa Bogh Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1138 ZBUR Concurrence - Urgency Added
SCR 87 Weber Pierson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 25 Blakespear Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 313 Ortega Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SCR 94 Blakespear Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 369 Michelle Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SJR 2 Cortese Senate Third Reading By Ortega
SCR 75 Weber Pierson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 81 Niello Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 83 Stern Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 86 Weber Pierson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass. To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Governmental Organization] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Be adopted. To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Revenue and Taxation] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Labor and Employment]
Do pass 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 [Appropriations]
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] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
AJR 9 Wallis Assembly Third Reading
ACR 16 Gallagher Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 927 Sharp-Collins Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 131 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 131 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL Amend By GONZALEZ, J. Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY
SB 140 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 85 Umberg Consent Calendar Second Day
SB 129 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 139 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
AB 130 BUDGET Concurrence in Senate Amendments By GABRIEL
ACR 99 Davies Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 102 GABRIEL Concurrence in Senate Amendments