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
4,450 events, each with its sourceAB 1440 Environmental Safety and Concurrence in Senate Amendments By CONNOLLY
AB 1598 Quirk-Silva Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1621 Wilson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1645 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1655 Bryan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1703 Hart Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1713 Ransom Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1728 Alanis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1732 Alvarez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1740 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1775 Ward Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1794 Ransom Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1801 Lee Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1821 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1824 Ramos Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1847 Harabedian Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1905 Schultz Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1941 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1973 Aguiar-Curry Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1991 Aguiar-Curry Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1997 Lee Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2008 Patel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2024 Nguyen Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2025 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2076 Lowenthal Concurrence in Senate Amendments By RODRIGUEZ, C
AB 2128 Haney Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2172 Gipson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2305 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2308 Haney Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2343 Patel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2348 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2361 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2395 Sharp-Collins Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2480 Ávila Farías Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2483 Elhawary Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2534 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2543 Ransom Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2577 Connolly Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2593 Elhawary Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2594 Lowenthal Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2647 Calderon Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2656 Petrie-Norris Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2663 Rogers Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2691 Addis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2731 Addis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2774 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2777 Environmental Safety and Concurrence in Senate Amendments By CONNOLLY
AB 2785 Elections Concurrence in Senate Amendments By PELLERIN
AB 2787 Water, Parks, and Wildli Concurrence in Senate Amendments By PAPAN
SB 299 Cabaldon Senate Third Reading By Wicks