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
4,306 events, each with its sourceSCR 67 Grayson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 68 Blakespear Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 69 Weber Pierson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 70 Blakespear Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 71 Allen Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 72 Wahab Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 76 Valladares Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 123 BUDGET Concurrence in Senate Amendments By GABRIEL
AB 121 BUDGET Concurrence in Senate Amendments By GABRIEL
AB 118 BUDGET Concurrence in Senate Amendments By GABRIEL
AB 116 BUDGET Concurrence in Senate Amendments By GABRIEL
AB 102 GABRIEL Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 470 McKinnor Assembly Third Reading
SB 39 Weber Pierson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 47 Umberg Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 409 Archuleta Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 103 Wiener Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 120 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 127 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 128 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 132 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 141 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 142 B. & F. R. Third Reading Urgency By GABRIEL
California Western Monarch Protection Week.
California Emergency Preparedness Month.
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Business and Professions]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Emergency Management] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Business and Professions]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Human Services]
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
Do pass as amended
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Health]
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]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
SB 66 Umberg Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 846 McNerney Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 229 Alvarado-Gil Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 61 Cortese Consent Calendar Second Day
SCR 3 Laird Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 95 Kalra Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Tijuana River: transboundary flow pollution.
ACR 93 Dixon Consent Calendar Second Day
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Military and Veterans Affairs] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Be adopted. To Consent Calendar