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
4,608 events, each with its sourceAB 245 Gipson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 969 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 253 Ward Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 265 Caloza Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 290 Bauer-Kahan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 301 Schiavo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 726 Ávila Farías Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 325 Aguiar-Curry Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 357 Alvarez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 394 Wilson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 400 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 770 Mark González Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 670 Quirk-Silva Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 779 Lackey Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 445 Aguiar-Curry Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 451 Petrie-Norris Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 630 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 460 Chen Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 799 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 607 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in
AB 462 Lowenthal Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 587 Davies Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 468 Gabriel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 476 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 478 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 831 Valencia Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 896 Elhawary Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 841 Patel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 849 Soria Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 531 Rogers Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 853 Wicks Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 562 Solache Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1524 JUD. Concurrence in Senate Amendments By KALRA
AB 39 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1362 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 243 Ahrens Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 774 Ashby Senate Third Reading By Berman
SB 385 Seyarto Third Reading Urgency By Irwin
AB 1445 Haney Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 247 Bryan Concurrence - Urgency Added
SB 403 Blakespear Senate Third Reading By Zbur
AB 1332 Ahrens Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1136 Ortega Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1172 Nguyen Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 858 Lee Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 610 Alvarez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 628 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1529 Housing and Community De Concurrence in Senate Amendments By HANEY
AB 422 Jackson Concurrence in Senate Amendments