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 sourcePersonal income taxes: Fire Safe Home Tax Credits Act.
SB 2 Wiener Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL Amend By CASTILLO Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY First Extraordinary Session
Personal Income Tax: tax credits: fire-resistant home improvements.
SB 1 Wiener Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL First Extraordinary Session
SB 1 Wiener Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL Amend By DEMAIO Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY First Extraordinary Session
ACR 17 Hadwick Consent Calendar Second Day
National Missing Children’s Day.
California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: scoping plan.
HR 6 Connolly Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Criminal penalties: wildfires.
AB 4 Gabriel Assembly Third Reading Amend By GALLAGHER Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY First Extraordinary Session
AB 4 Gabriel Assembly Third Reading First Extraordinary Session
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.
SB 3 Wiener Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL First Extraordinary Session
Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024: grants: improvements to public evacuation routes: mobile rigid water storage: electrical generators.
Maternal Health Awareness Day.
In-Home Supportive Services Employer-Employee Relations Act.
Sales and Use Tax Law: consumer designation: all-volunteer fire departments.
National Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Week.
Personal Income Tax: tax credits: fire-resistant home improvements.
Relative to Long COVID Awareness Day.
Positive Parenting Awareness Month.
Pest control: Pierce’s disease.
National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Property taxation: disabled veterans’ exemption: household income.
Student financial aid: Cal Grants: Middle Class Scholarship Program: eligibility: dependents of members of the armed services stationed outside of California.
Relative to Enrolled Agents’ Day.
National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
HR 4 ESSAYLI Assembly Third Reading Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY
HR 3 RIVAS Assembly Third Reading By AGUIAR-CURRY
HR 2 RIVAS Assembly Third Reading By AGUIAR-CURRY
HR 1 PACHECO Assembly Third Reading
SCR 2 Umberg Senate Third Reading By AGUIAR-CURRY
School and community college employees: paid disability and parental leave.
United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Low-carbon fuel standard: regulations.
Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024: Administrative Procedure Act: exemption: program guidelines and selection criteria.
Food Desert Elimination Grant Program.
SCR 2 Umberg Senate Third Reading By AGUIAR-CURRY
HR 1 PACHECO Assembly Third Reading
HR 2 RIVAS Assembly Third Reading By AGUIAR-CURRY