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 sourceSB 853 Labor, Public Employment Senate Third Reading By McKINNOR
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SB 443 Rubio Senate Third Reading By Harabedian
SB 351 Cabaldon Senate Third Reading By Patel
AB 1119 Patel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 346 Durazo Senate Third Reading By Bauer-Kahan
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AB 385 Ramos Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 697 Laird Senate Third Reading By Papan
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HR 59 Dixon Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 276 Wiener Third Reading Urgency By Stefani
SB 764 Weber Pierson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 580 Wallis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 272 Becker Senate Third Reading By Stefani
Relative to All California Day.
AB 688 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 227 Grayson Third Reading Urgency By Wilson
SB 507 Limón Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
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SB 731 Archuleta Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 543 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Carrillo
SB 544 Laird Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 609 Laird Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 480 Archuleta Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 815 Ortega Concurrence in Senate Amendments
HR 51 Schultz Consent Calendar Second Day
HR 54 Fong Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 60 Gabriel Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 61 McKinnor Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 90 Grove Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 447 Umberg Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 875 Muratsuchi Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 446 Hurtado Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 109 Arambula Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 8 Ashby Senate Third Reading By Krell
SB 9 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Carrillo
SB 626 Smallwood-Cuevas Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 412 Limón Senate Third Reading By Stefani
SB 859 Governmental Organization Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 400 Cortese Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 857 Public Safety Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 506 Transportation Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 395 Wiener Senate Third Reading By Haney
SB 854 Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AJR 3 Schiavo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 847 Reyes Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 493 Becker Senate Third Reading By Wilson
AJR 8 Haney Assembly Third Reading
SCR 78 McGuire Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session