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
4,174 events, each with its sourceDo pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Emergency Management]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
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 as amended
Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Transportation]
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]
Be adopted and re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Revenue and Taxation]
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 [Judiciary]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Housing and Community Development]
AB 40 Bonta Third Reading Urgency
AB 1414 Ransom Assembly Third Reading
AB 322 Ward Assembly Third Reading
AB 1149 Davies Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 931 Kalra Assembly Third Reading
AB 789 Bonta Assembly Third Reading
AB 484 Dixon Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1105 Quirk-Silva Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 890 Lee Assembly Third Reading
AB 639 Soria Assembly Third Reading
AB 1384 Nguyen Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 652 Alvarez Assembly Third Reading
AB 859 Macedo Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1389 Blanca Rubio Consent Calendar Second Day
HR 29 Gabriel Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1150 Schultz Assembly Third Reading
AB 100 GABRIEL Concurrence in Senate Amendments Appeal the Decision of the Speaker By DEMAIO
AB 1393 Blanca Rubio Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 100 GABRIEL Concurrence in Senate Amendments
ACR 34 Ta Assembly Third Reading
ACR 61 Stefani Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 57 Patterson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1392 Flora Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 471 Hart Assembly Third Reading
AB 677 Bryan Assembly Third Reading
Be adopted. To third reading
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] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Housing and Community Development]
Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]