Republican Gonzalez Close To Flipping Key Coachella Valley District Republican

Gonzalez emphasizes eliminating taxes on groceries and gas.

As the race for a crucial Coachella Valley legislative district intensifies, Republican candidate Jeff Gonzalez has steadily expanded his lead over Democrat Joey Acuña, signaling a potential shift in the district's political alignment.

The seat, currently held by veteran Democratic legislator Eduardo Garcia, is up for grabs after Garcia announced he would not seek re-election this year.

Garcia, who has represented the district for several terms, endorsed Acuña, the president of the Coachella Valley Unified School District board, as his successor.

In the wake of the primary election, Gonzalez and Acuña emerged as the top contenders, with Gonzalez, a former Marine and Indio resident, holding a growing advantage.

The district spans across Indio, Coachella, and several smaller communities surrounding the Salton Sea, including all of Imperial County and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Gonzalez, whose campaign website highlights his 20 years of military service—including tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, and diplomatic security missions in Honduras and the Czech Republic—promises to tackle issues such as rising inflation and education reform.

His platform emphasizes eliminating taxes on groceries and gas, pushing for a "historic" middle-class tax cut, and improving school safety by increasing teacher and security staff hires.

Registered voters in the district, which totals 245,500, are roughly split among political affiliations but leans Democrat.

Despite the Democratic tilt, Gonzalez’s momentum suggests that the district, traditionally a Democratic stronghold, could be in play for the GOP for future election cycles.