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
4,087 events, each with its sourceAB 179 BUDGET Concurrence in Senate Amendments By GABRIEL
AB 181 ALVAREZ Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 182 PELLERIN Concurrence - Urgency Added
SB 97 Grayson Third Reading Urgency By Blanca Rubio
SB 111 Laird Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 135 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 163 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 164 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL Amend By PATTERSON Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY
SB 164 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 165 B. & F. R. Third Reading Urgency By GABRIEL
SB 166 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 168 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 169 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 170 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 171 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 172 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 174 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 177 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 180 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 719 Cabaldon Third Reading Urgency By Bauer-Kahan
SB 830 Arreguín Third Reading Urgency By Wicks
SB 997 Caballero Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 1088 Blakespear Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 1175 Rubio Consent Calendar Second Day
SB 1344 Cabaldon Senate Third Reading By Haney
SB 1350 McNerney Third Reading Urgency By Carrillo
SB 417 Limón Third Reading Urgency By Wicks
SB 623 Umberg Senate Third Reading By Papan
ACR 125 Alanis Consent Calendar Second Day
ACA 20 GABRIEL Assembly Third Reading Amend By TANGIPA Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY
ACA 20 GABRIEL Assembly Third Reading
ACA 21 RIVAS Assembly Third Reading By WICKS
ACA 22 WICKS Assembly Third Reading
Relative to Chicano Heritage Month.
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Local Government]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Emergency Management]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass 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 [Human Services]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]