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
3,711 events, each with its sourceSB 1139 Laird Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 1437 Revenue and Taxation Consent Calendar Second Day
SCR 143 Umberg Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SJR 13 Padilla Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 2285 Valencia Assembly Third Reading
SB 968 Becker Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 1036 Grayson Senate Third Reading By Blanca Rubio
SB 1426 Housing Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 165 Kalra Consent Calendar Second Day
ACR 194 Pacheco Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 219 Papan Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 220 Nguyen Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 223 Rogers Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Housing and Community Development]
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 [Revenue and Taxation]
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 as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass 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 [Local Government]
Do pass. To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources]
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Revenue and Taxation]
Be adopted. To Consent Calendar
AB 109 GABRIEL Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 110 Laird Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 122 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL Amend By TANGIPA Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY
SB 122 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 125 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL Amend By DEMAIO Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY
SB 125 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 1143 Caballero Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 1189 Valladares Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 1428 Natural Resources and Wa Consent Calendar Second Day
SB 1433 Judiciary Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 113 Jeff Gonzalez Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 1795 Gipson Third Reading Urgency
SJR 11 Cervantes Consent Calendar Second Day
ACR 206 Stefani Consent Calendar Second Day
ACR 211 Celeste Rodriguez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 151 Umberg Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 169 Gonzalez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 172 Niello Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 175 Weber Pierson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 176 Ashby Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 178 Becker Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1548 Pellerin Assembly Third Reading
AB 1560 Tangipa Assembly Third Reading