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 361 Schultz Assembly Third Reading
AB 359 Ramos Assembly Third Reading
AB 621 Bauer-Kahan Assembly Third Reading
AB 620 Jackson Assembly Third Reading
AB 618 Krell Assembly Third Reading
AB 352 Pacheco Assembly Third Reading
AB 489 Bonta Assembly Third Reading
AB 350 Bonta Assembly Third Reading
AB 1117 Schultz Assembly Third Reading
AB 347 Kalra Assembly Third Reading
AB 499 Ortega Assembly Third Reading
AB 607 Celeste Rodriguez Assembly Third Reading
AB 343 Pacheco Assembly Third Reading
AB 1128 Muratsuchi Assembly Third Reading
AB 1134 Bains Assembly Third Reading
AB 11 Lee Assembly Third Reading
AB 1140 Connolly Assembly Third Reading
AB 1143 Bennett Assembly Third Reading
AB 1180 Valencia Assembly Third Reading
AB 1148 Sharp-Collins Assembly Third Reading
AB 1524 Judiciary Assembly Third Reading By KALRA
AB 1521 Judiciary Assembly Third Reading By KALRA
AB 1 Connolly Assembly Third Reading
AB 339 Ortega Assembly Third Reading
AB 331 Pellerin Assembly Third Reading
AB 330 Rogers Assembly Third Reading
AB 325 Aguiar-Curry Assembly Third Reading
AB 602 Haney Assembly Third Reading
AB 601 Jackson Assembly Third Reading
AB 1505 Agriculture Assembly Third Reading By SORIA
AB 1503 Berman Assembly Third Reading
AB 599 Connolly Assembly Third Reading
AB 1502 Berman Assembly Third Reading
AB 288 McKinnor Assembly Third Reading
AB 280 Aguiar-Curry Assembly Third Reading
AB 1501 Berman Assembly Third Reading
AB 531 Rogers Assembly Third Reading
AB 268 Kalra Assembly Third Reading
AB 1487 Addis Assembly Third Reading
AB 265 Caloza Assembly Third Reading
AB 262 Caloza Third Reading Urgency
AB 506 Bennett Assembly Third Reading
AB 593 Wicks Assembly Third Reading
AB 509 Flora Assembly Third Reading
AB 1164 Ransom Assembly Third Reading
AB 586 Flora Assembly Third Reading
AB 8 Aguiar-Curry Assembly Third Reading
AB 70 Aguiar-Curry Assembly Third Reading
AB 564 Haney Assembly Third Reading
AB 563 Jackson Assembly Third Reading