Jeff Gonzalez

Jeff Gonzalez is a Republican Assemblymember representing District 36, encompassing Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties in southeastern California, who assumed office on December 2, 2024, after flipping a heavily Democratic, majority-Latino district in a major upset ^[1,2]. A 21-year United States Marine Corps combat veteran, ordained pastor, small business owner, and devoted father of a child with cerebral palsy, Gonzalez brings a deep commitment to faith, family, service, and community that aligns closely with CFC's mission of strengthening families, protecting children, and defending religious liberty ^[2,3,4]. With a 63% CFC Biblical Values Scorecard rating, Gonzalez has demonstrated alignment with the California Family Council's worldview framework on several core priorities including limited government (Chapter 11) and family-centered policy (Chapter 3).

Jeff Gonzalez is a first-generation American born in New Jersey and raised in Southern California. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at age 19, beginning a distinguished 21-year military career. He was deployed to combat zones on four occasions, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and completed embassy protection missions in Honduras and the Czech Republic. Gonzalez earned a Bachelor's degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from National University. He and his wife Christine reside in Indio, California, and have four children: RJ, Lexi, Zack, and Mike.

After retiring from the Marines, Gonzalez felt a calling to pastoral ministry, motivated by the devastating loss of ten fellow Marines to suicide. He served as Outreach Pastor and Team Leader at Southwest Church in Indian Wells and as Volunteer Campus Coordinator at Saddleback Church in Orange County. His pastoral work centered on protecting the most vulnerable -- veterans, families in crisis, and those struggling with mental health challenges. Gonzalez later transitioned to the private sector as a small business owner and became active in community service on multiple local nonprofit boards.

Gonzalez first ran for the California State Assembly in 2018, challenging incumbent Democrat Eduardo Garcia in the 56th District. When Garcia retired ahead of the 2024 cycle, Gonzalez ran again for the redrawn 36th District and pulled off one of the cycle's biggest upsets, defeating Democrat Joey Acuna Jr. Despite the district's nearly 16-point Democratic registration advantage, Gonzalez won with approximately 51.6% of the vote -- the first time since 2008 that a Republican represented the district.

His 65.5% Biblical Values Scorecard rating across 29 scored floor votes reflects a mixed record on CFC's core priorities. While he has aligned with CFC on select votes, his overall record diverges from CFC's framework on the sanctity of human life, parental authority in education, and religious liberty.

In his first year, Gonzalez's signature achievement was Assembly Bill 1412, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 7, 2025. AB 1412 strengthens educational continuity for students with disabilities who transfer into California schools from out of state, particularly children of military families, by requiring school districts to implement an Individualized Education Program within 30 days of transfer. The legislation earned strong bipartisan support.