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 sourceDo pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Business and Professions]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Health]
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 [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 [Business and Professions]
SB 846 McNerney Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 61 Cortese Consent Calendar Second Day
SB 229 Alvarado-Gil Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 66 Umberg Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 3 Laird Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 95 Kalra Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 93 Dixon Consent Calendar Second Day
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 [Military and Veterans Affairs] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Be adopted. To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials]
SB 101 Wiener Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL Amend By SANCHEZ Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY
SB 101 Wiener Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
AB 610 Alvarez Assembly Third Reading
AB 745 Irwin Assembly Third Reading
AB 456 Connolly Assembly Third Reading
AB 1037 Elhawary Assembly Third Reading
AB 566 Lowenthal Assembly Third Reading
AB 692 Kalra Assembly Third Reading
AB 357 Alvarez Assembly Third Reading
AB 69 Calderon Assembly Third Reading
AB 247 Bryan Assembly Third Reading
AB 698 Wicks Assembly Third Reading
AB 699 Stefani Assembly Third Reading
AB 66 Tangipa Assembly Third Reading
AB 426 Dixon Assembly Third Reading
AB 1087 Patterson Assembly Third Reading
AB 1331 Elhawary Assembly Third Reading
AB 392 Dixon Assembly Third Reading
AB 1129 Celeste Rodriguez Assembly Third Reading
AB 1146 Papan Assembly Third Reading
AB 383 Davies Assembly Third Reading
AB 84 Muratsuchi Assembly Third Reading
AB 825 Petrie-Norris Assembly Third Reading
AB 1454 Rivas Assembly Third Reading
AB 687 Patterson Assembly Third Reading
AB 88 Ta Assembly Third Reading
AB 1033 Lackey Assembly Third Reading
AB 1227 Ellis Assembly Third Reading
AB 441 Hadwick Assembly Third Reading
AB 30 Alvarez Third Reading Urgency
AB 891 Zbur Assembly Third Reading
AB 435 Wilson Assembly Third Reading