In 2024, voters in Indio, Coachella and the eastern Coachella Valley sent a Republican to Sacramento to represent them, a switch from the Democrat who held the assembly seat before.
Now, they are set to decide if they want to send Marine veteran and small business owner Jeff Gonzalez back to the Capitol or switch back to a Democratic assemblymember. Gonzalez's challenger is Democrat Ida Obeso-Martinez, a nurse practitioner who is the mayor of Imperial.
While Gonzalez now holds a potential incumbency advantage, Democrats have a 12.10% edge in voter registrations compared to Republicans as of Sept. 4. However, Democrats held a similar voter registration advantage in 2024, when Gonzalez defeated his Democratic opponent by just over 5,500 votes.
When
district voters elected Gonzalez in 2024, they made the district one of just two to change partisan hands that year (both went from Democrats to Republicans). Those flips, however, were far from enough to break Democrats' legislative supermajority, which is expected to endure in 2026 and could grow if Assembly District 36 and other Republican seats go back to the Democrats.
In his campaign, Gonzalez has emphasized his membership in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus who puts the needs of the district over his party and has prioritizing protecting the In-Home Supportive Services program from proposed cuts. Obeso-Martinez, meanwhile, has emphasized her experience as a mayor in bringing people together and getting things done and said she knows first hand the struggles of working people and will work to bring down the cost of living.
The district, meanwhile, is a sprawling one. It is anchored by the Imperial Valley and eastern Coachella Valley but extends all the way from Winchester and French Valley in western Riverside County east to the Arizona and Nevada borders. It also extends from the Mexican border to as far north as Needles.
Ahead of the Nov. 3 election, The Desert Sun sent questionnaires to Gonzalez and Obeso-Martinez that asked each candidate the same four questions about why they were running and what they hoped to accomplish in Sacramento. Their responses are printed below.
Why are you running and what makes you the best choice?
Jeff Gonzalez
Our work in Sacramento has just begun. As a 21-year Marine Corps veteran and the father of a son with special needs, I have the lived experience necessary to understand how California's system is broken not only for veterans but also for vulnerable Californians. In Sacramento, I represent each constituent across this district, no matter their political party. For me, People over Politics is not just a tagline, it's how I operate. The people of District 36 demand results, not party politics and I've been proud to deliver those results in my first term.
Ida Obeso-Martinez
I was born and raised in this district, and I’m raising my family here. For over 20 years as a nurse, I’ve cared for families in emergency rooms, ICUs and clinics. I’m running because working families deserve an economy that works for them, quality healthcare they can afford, strong schools and the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions. As Mayor, I’ve learned how to bring people with different views together and get things done. I understand our communities, the challenges families face, and I have built a coalition of support locally and statewide to actually deliver results.
What are three things you would want to accomplish during your term?
Jeff Gonzalez
- Protect In-Home Supportive Services from cuts. When Governor Newsom proposed cutting roughly $700 million from IHSS, we fought back and won. We won't give up protecting this life-saving program.
- Expand benefits for California's veterans including further tax relief.
- Continue our work on Lithium Valley and move our district forward as a diverse economic powerhouse of the future.
Ida Obeso-Martinez
First, lower the cost of living by expanding affordable housing, supporting good-paying jobs and ensuring corporations do not take advantage of consumers.
Second, protect access to quality healthcare, strengthen rural hospitals and clinics, lower prescription drug costs and address our healthcare workforce shortage.
Third, secure state investments to strengthen public schools and workforce training, improve infrastructure, and tackle the Salton Sea, air quality and extreme heat challenges this region faces.
Our communities help power and feed California, which drives its economy. Assembly District 36 deserves the same opportunities as every other part of California.
District 36 is one diverse part of a large and complex state. How would you approach advocating for and representing the district in Sacramento?
Jeff Gonzalez
As the Assemblyman for District 36, I have spent the past two years meeting quarterly with every single city leadership team, first responder group, organization, and stakeholder throughout the entire district. From Needles to Calexico, Blythe to Indio and everywhere in between, my responsibility is to leave no part of our district out of the conversation. Because of this aggressive, proactive approach, the Governor has signed our district-driven bills into law. I advocate for our district by listening to the people who live here and carrying their voices with me to the Assembly floor, every single day.
Ida Obeso-Martinez
First, lower costs and create good-paying jobs in a district with some of California’s highest unemployment. Second, protect healthcare by strengthening rural hospitals and clinics, from Palo Verde Hospital in Blythe to hospitals in Imperial County that have struggled to keep their doors open. Third, secure state investment for schools, workforce training and infrastructure. We must also continue work on the Salton Sea, accelerate projects to cover exposed playa and reduce toxic dust and poor air quality threatening nearby communities. Our region helps feed and power California, and Assembly District 36 deserves its fair share of investment and opportunity.
Is there anything else you would want voters to know about you?
Jeff Gonzalez
I am part of the Problem Solvers Caucus in Sacramento, which consists of an equal share of Democrats and Republicans who come together to find solutions to California's biggest issues. I work hard to find pragmatic, bipartisan solutions in Sacramento and support good ideas, no matter who has them. California deserves leaders who will put their party aside and bring home real results for taxpayers. I am asking you to send me back to Sacramento because we have much work left to do on behalf of District 36.
Ida Obeso-Martinez
I’m a first-generation college graduate who went on to earn a Doctorate in Nursing Practice and became a nurse, educator, Mayor and mom. Education, a good job and access to healthcare changed the trajectory of my family. I believe everyone deserves that same opportunity, no matter their ZIP code or background. Public service, to me, is about leaving our communities stronger for the next generation. I am asking voters to give me an opportunity to show them that I can and will deliver real results that reflect our community’s values and that uplift Assembly District 36.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Can California Democrats oust Jeff Gonzalez in midterm election?
