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 sourceSB 1433 Judiciary Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Relative to Probation Services Week.
HR 113 Jeff Gonzalez Consent Calendar Second Day
Relative to the FIFA World Cup.
Relative to California Wildflower Week.
Social Media Harms Victim Remembrance Day.
Relative to International Referees’ Day.
Relative to California Craft Beer Week.
Relative to Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act of 1996.
AB 1795 Gipson Third Reading Urgency
SJR 11 Cervantes Consent Calendar Second Day
Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Awareness Month.
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
Electronic Dance Music Month.
AB 1548 Pellerin Assembly Third Reading
AB 1560 Tangipa Assembly Third Reading
AB 1575 Arambula Assembly Third Reading
AB 1707 Davies Assembly Third Reading
AB 1709 Lowenthal Assembly Third Reading
AB 1720 Haney Assembly Third Reading
AB 1722 Hadwick Assembly Third Reading
AB 1752 Lackey Assembly Third Reading
AB 1758 Nguyen Assembly Third Reading
AB 1805 Ransom Third Reading Urgency
AB 1863 DeMaio Assembly Third Reading
AB 1886 Elhawary Assembly Third Reading
AB 1958 Kalra Assembly Third Reading
AB 1976 Wicks Assembly Third Reading
AB 2012 Hoover Assembly Third Reading
AB 2015 Wicks Assembly Third Reading
AB 2051 Wicks Assembly Third Reading
AB 2071 Hoover Assembly Third Reading
AB 2074 Haney Assembly Third Reading
AB 2129 Flora Assembly Third Reading
AB 2139 Garcia Assembly Third Reading
AB 2168 Wicks Assembly Third Reading
AB 2242 Davies Assembly Third Reading
AB 2257 Hart Assembly Third Reading
AB 2261 Dixon Assembly Third Reading
AB 2279 Gipson Assembly Third Reading