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
4,861 events, each with its sourceAB 1918 Dixon Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1924 Gabriel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1930 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1967 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1979 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2007 Bauer-Kahan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2030 Lowenthal Concurrence in Senate Amendments By RODRIGUEZ, C
With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in
AB 2113 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2124 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2157 Connolly Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2166 Carrillo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2168 Wicks Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2173 Wallis Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 2181 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2195 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2206 Fong Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2270 Arambula Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2282 Alanis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2298 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2304 Lackey Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2378 Gabriel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in
AB 2405 Gipson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2411 McKINNOR Concurrence in Senate Amendments By ELHAWARY
AB 2468 Patel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2471 E.M. Concurrence in Senate Amendments By RANSOM
AB 2494 Rogers Concurrence in Senate Amendments
With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in
AB 2499 Gipson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2507 Nguyen Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2532 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2539 Ramos Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 2555 Patel Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 2571 Flora Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2613 Sharp-Collins Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2619 Papan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2635 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2728 Soria Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2764 Ahrens Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2772 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2795 B. & F. Concurrence in Senate Amendments By VALENCIA
SB 58 Padilla Senate Third Reading By Alvarez
SB 99 Blakespear Senate Third Reading By Stefani
SB 327 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Berman
SB 354 Limón Senate Third Reading By Bauer-Kahan
SB 691 Wahab Senate Third Reading By Schultz
SB 750 Cortese Senate Third Reading By Haney
SB 869 Weber Pierson Senate Third Reading By Gabriel
SB 1072 Housing Senate Third Reading By HANEY