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
4,230 events, each with its sourceSB 71 Wiener Senate Third Reading By Ward
AB 1123 Muratsuchi Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 449 Jackson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 867 Lee Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 669 McGuire Senate Third Reading By Bonta
AB 1239 Dixon Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 890 Lee Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 36 Umberg Senate Third Reading By Krell
AB 57 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 15 Gipson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 793 Archuleta Senate Third Reading By Ransom
AB 320 Bennett Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 517 Niello Senate Third Reading By Hoover
SB 411 Pérez Senate Third Reading By Lee
SB 398 Umberg Senate Third Reading By Berman
SB 410 Grayson Senate Third Reading By Quirk-Silva
AB 893 Fong Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 987 Sharp-Collins Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 489 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 931 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 399 Boerner Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1002 Gabriel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 435 Wilson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
HR 63 Alanis Consent Calendar Second Day
HR 69 Calderon Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 72 Carrillo Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 74 Jeff Gonzalez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 852 Elections and Constitutio Senate Third Reading By PELLERIN
AB 774 Bauer-Kahan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1021 Wicks Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1374 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 848 Soria Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 509 Flora Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 830 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Bonta
SB 827 Gonzalez Senate Third Reading By Wicks
AB 1344 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 645 Carrillo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 592 Gabriel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 800 Reyes Senate Third Reading By Garcia
AB 365 Schiavo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1314 Ahrens Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 791 Cortese Senate Third Reading By Wilson
AB 806 Connolly Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 786 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Bryan
SB 778 Limón Senate Third Reading By Bains
SCR 11 Cervantes Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 769 Wilson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 542 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments By LOWENTHAL
SB 748 Richardson Senate Third Reading By Jackson
AB 221 Ramos Concurrence in Senate Amendments