Editor’s Note: The 2024 Presidential Election will be Tuesday, November 5. Besides the races for President and the U.S. Senate, to succeed Diane Feinstein, there are many local races which will determine who represents the Hill in the State Assembly and the U.S. Congress.

The Town Crier will be writing about the races for the U.S. Congressional District 41, California Assembly Districts 36 and 47, and the Idyllwild Water District.

The two candidates for the AD 36 seat are Democrat Joey Acuna and Republican Jeff Gonzalez.

Jeff Gonzalez, lives in Indio, and is seeking to become the new Assembly member for District 36. He is married with four children, including three from his wife’s previous marriage.

The incumbent Assembly member, Eduardo Garcia, announced in December that he would not seek re-election. Assembly District 36 spans three counties – Imperial, San Bernardino, and Riverside. Lake Hemet and all of Garner Valley to the west of Highway 74 and much of the southern portion of Garner Valley, Anza and Sage are included in AD 36. Going further west, it includes portions of Hemet and Winchester.

Although all of Imperial County is in AD 36, its 88,700 registered voters represent about one-third of the District’s total voters. Nearly 150,000 Riverside County residents are within AD 36, comprising 62 % of the District’s voters. The San Bernardino County portion is merely 1%, with fewer than 3,000 registered voters in the District.

Gonzalez, 50 years old, retired from the Marines after serving 21 years. During his active duty, he was in a counter terrorism group. Among his assignments, he toured in Iraq and Afghanistan several times as well as Southeast Asia. After service, he became a pastor, now owns two small businesses and wants to continue to serve his community in the State Legislature.

In the March Primary, Gonzalez garnered the greatest number of votes of the seven candidates on the ballot. With 21,626 votes, he captured 35% of the total Primary vote. Acuna, the Democrat, received 19.9% or 12,262 votes.

Acuna argues that Gonzalez only had one Republican challenger in the Primary, and there were five candidates on the Democrat’s ballot.

For the November Election, Democrats have a nearly 3 to 2 advantage in registered voters. But there are slightly more than 20% of voters choosing no party preference.

The registration disparity has not discouraged Gonzalez. He is optimistic and emphasizes his attitude of putting the community first. “People over politics,” he said. “I will serve the needs of the community. That’s what resonates with the people.”

This run for elective office is not Gonzalez’s first effort. Prior to COVID, he sought the former AD 56 seat. In 2018, Gonzalez won the Republican primary but lost the general election to Garcia, who garnered two-thirds of the vote.

Healthcare is the number one issue for the District, according to Gonzalez. He stresses that it’s important to him too. He understands the community’s needs from the perspective of a parent and as an advocate. One of his sons has cerebral palsy, is non-verbal and little use of his hands and legs and needs 24-hour care.

“I have first-hand knowledge of the need for an advocate in Sacramento,” he stressed. “I have experienced the pain of Californians going through healthcare issues of today. I am willing to hear all parties for resolution and speak to numerous legislators for solutions.”

Mining the lithium reserves adjacent to the Salton Sea is an issue unique to AD 36. While he is excited about the potential lithium development in the area, he acknowledges the government’s need to be responsible while managing the development. While there will be jobs, there are also people whose safety should be guarded.

“We need to show respect for the earth, care for the sea, empathy for the community and consideration of the businesses and organization that want to extract this ore,” Gonzalez added. “It should be done in a safe manner, working with the County and the cities.”

He highlighted the various issues – road construction, education, taxes, and housing– that overlap with this development. Thus, there are multiple stakeholders who have to work together.

Housing will be another issue incorporated into the work at the Salton Sea, but this problem affects the entire district, in his opinion.

“Affordable housing for people to own,” he said beginning his discussion of this issue. “Young folks need housing as do working class families. We need to look at all the CEQA [California Environmental Quality Act] rules.”

Along with all housing, he observed that homelessness is a crisis that has overwhelmed the State.

“We need better education of the community on the nuances of homelessness. There’s the public safety realm, education, roads and affordable homes,” he said. “It’s a complex issue.”

Regarding the State budget issues, one area that Gonzalez feels could mitigate the deficit some is the number of buildings and land that that the State owns, does not use or occupy, and consequently does not need, he opined.

“Sell it or lease it out,” he suggested. “Empty is not a solution, and it costs the citizens.”

He urged less spending through making the state government smaller. The priorities should be public safety, education and affordability, he pronounced.

As he visits voters in Anza, Gonzalez sees the effects of the numerous wildfires, both current and past. And he wants to find a long-term solution. The bravery of firefighters – federal, state and local – is not enough, he said.

He favors more forest management. In addition, he recommends that the state acquire, instead of renting, more large aircraft to combat fires.

Campaign finances

The campaign has been costly and will continue to require contributions to stay even, he acknowledged. While his cash level on Sept 21 was $65,000, he has received another $53,000 since.

But he most proud of the fact that most of his campaign contributions have come from individuals. Two-thirds of donors have given $1,000 or less.

“Democrats and Republicans believe in what I’ve been doing,” Gonzalez said in conclusion. “Working class families are giving $5 to $50. I have a group of ‘Democrats for Gonzalez’ that refuse to support Acuna. We’re reaching out to the whole community.”