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 sourceSB 1128 Stern Senate Third Reading By Wicks
SB 1153 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Calderon
SB 1206 Insurance Senate Third Reading By CALDERON
SB 1209 Allen Senate Third Reading By Calderon
SB 1296 Durazo Senate Third Reading By Haney
SB 1337 Richardson Senate Third Reading By Calderon
SB 1347 Niello Senate Third Reading By Patel
SB 1361 Durazo Senate Third Reading By ELHAWARY
SB 1421 McGuire Senate Third Reading By Ahrens
SB 1423 Stern Senate Third Reading By Rogers
SB 1446 Public Safety Senate Third Reading By SCHULTZ
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AB 350 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 539 Schiavo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 550 Petrie-Norris Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 708 Valencia Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 739 Jackson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 762 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 801 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 864 Ward Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 880 Bennett Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1054 Gipson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1093 Solache Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1180 Valencia Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1267 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1338 Solache Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1539 Addis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1595 Schultz Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1599 Ahrens Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1603 Schultz Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1604 Stefani Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1608 Wilson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1629 Haney Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1659 Ransom Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1661 Bryan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1664 Jackson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1665 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1666 Rogers Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1669 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1682 Hart Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1685 Lackey Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1688 Carrillo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1693 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1697 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1721 Muratsuchi Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1751 Quirk-Silva Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1761 Rogers Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1803 Lowenthal Concurrence in Senate Amendments By JACKSON
AB 1806 Gabriel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1807 Gabriel Concurrence in Senate Amendments