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
4,552 events, each with its sourceAB 708 Valencia Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 42 Pacheco Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 94 Bennett Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 59 Aguiar-Curry Assembly Third Reading
AB 301 Schiavo Third Reading Urgency
AB 299 Gabriel Third Reading Urgency
AB 293 Bennett Assembly Third Reading
Reconsideration
AB 540 Connolly Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 462 Lowenthal Third Reading Urgency
AB 604 Berman Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1297 Stefani Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 253 Ward Third Reading Urgency
AB 1030 Papan Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1170 Dixon Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 226 Calderon Third Reading Urgency
AB 311 McKinnor Third Reading Urgency
AB 493 Harabedian Third Reading Urgency
AB 498 Michelle Rodriguez Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 597 Harabedian Third Reading Urgency
AB 417 Carrillo Assembly Third Reading
AB 312 Alanis Assembly Third Reading
SB 26 Umberg Third Reading Urgency By Kalra
AB 306 Schultz Third Reading Urgency
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]
AB 251 Kalra Assembly Third Reading
AB 310 Alanis Assembly Third Reading
California Holocaust Memorial Day.
Peace officers: disability-informed response programs.
AB 437 Lackey Assembly Third Reading
AB 581 Bennett Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Relative to Education and Sharing Day, California.
ACR 39 Ramos Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 266 Davies Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 53 Bonta Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Special education funding: protection.
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Child nutrition: federal programs: funding cuts.