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
4,483 events, each with its sourceSB 1180 Allen Senate Third Reading By Bryan
SB 1158 Stern Senate Third Reading By Schultz
SB 1130 Reyes Senate Third Reading By Bauer-Kahan
SB 1087 Cabaldon Senate Third Reading By Solache
SB 1009 Becker Senate Third Reading By Harabedian
SB 1009 Becker Senate Third Reading By Harabedian Appeal the Decision of the Speaker By BRYAN
SB 957 Pérez Senate Third Reading By Ortega
SB 947 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Bryan
SB 907 Archuleta Senate Third Reading By Petrie-Norris
SB 905 Becker Senate Third Reading By Boerner
SB 903 Padilla Senate Third Reading By Pellerin
SB 877 Pérez Senate Third Reading By Harabedian
SB 813 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Bauer-Kahan
With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in
AB 69 Calderon Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 220 Jackson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 282 Pellerin Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 387 Alanis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 502 Pellerin Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 540 Connolly Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 686 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 767 Alanis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 788 Quirk-Silva Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 917 Ávila Farías Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 929 Connolly Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1039 Hart Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1130 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1198 Haney Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1383 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1405 Bauer-Kahan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1537 Bryan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1542 Ward Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1555 Hadwick Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1572 Alanis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1578 Jackson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1588 Stefani Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1600 Arambula Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1627 Ávila Farías Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1687 Lackey Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1699 Rogers Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 1715 Schiavo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1776 Aguiar-Curry Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1811 Rogers Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1815 Wicks Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1843 Elhawary Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1853 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1881 Ramos Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1883 Bryan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1887 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1902 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments