In a closely watched primary election to succeed the long-serving Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, initial returns on Tuesday night revealed that Democrat Jeff Gonzalez was leading the race. With over 27,000 votes cast, Gonzalez secured an impressive 9,034 votes, constituting 32.7% of the total count.
As the night progressed, other Democratic contenders were still vying for an opportunity to advance to the general election. Jose “Joey” Acuña Jr. held the second position with 5,143 votes (18.6%), closely trailed by Edgard Garcia with 4,584 votes (16.6%). Overall, the Democratic candidates collectively amassed 57% of the votes, while the two Republican candidates, including Gonzalez, garnered 43%.
The competitive landscape emerged following Garcia’s decision not to seek re-election, a Democrat from Coachella who had been representing Assembly District 36 since 2014. Garcia’s announcement, made after years of commuting to Sacramento, reflected his desire to spend more quality time with his family. This decision came just days after the deadline for incumbents to file for re-election.
Assembly District 36, encompassing Coachella, Indio, the eastern Coachella Valley, eastern Riverside County up to the Arizona line, all of Imperial County, and part of eastern San Bernardino County, has been under Garcia’s representation. In 2022, Garcia secured re-election with 53.4% of the vote, defeating Democrat Ian Weeks.
The primary featured a total of seven candidates – five Democrats and two Republicans. In accordance with California’s voting system, the top two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will proceed to the November general election.
Among the Democratic contenders, Acuña, endorsed by Garcia, has served as a trustee on the Coachella Valley Unified School District Board of Education since 2014. Acuña garnered notable endorsements from Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez.
Another Democratic contender from the valley is Waymond Fermon, a member of the Indio City Council since 2018. Fermon made history in 2022 as Indio’s first Black mayor during the city’s regular leadership rotations. In addition to his political role, Fermon serves as a correctional officer at Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County. Initial returns on Tuesday night showed Fermon with 2,363 votes (8.5%).
On the Democratic side, Jeff Gonzalez, a business owner and former Marine residing in Indio, took the lead in the primary. Notable endorsements from conservatives, including U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, several Republican members of the California Legislature, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, provided significant support for Gonzalez’s campaign. Gonzalez had previously challenged Garcia in 2018 but faced a significant defeat.
The other Democratic candidate, Kalin Morse, a nonprofit director based in Westmoreland, secured 2,819 votes (10.2%) in the initial returns.
Democrat Tomas Oliva, a member of the El Centro City Council since 2018, is running for the seat from Imperial County. Oliva, also a senior field representative for U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz, gained 2,155 votes (7.8%) in the initial results.
Edgard Garcia, an attorney and member of the El Centro City Council since 2015, secured the third-place position as of Tuesday night.
Democratic candidate Eric Rodriguez, a member of the Central Union High School District Board of Trustees in El Centro since 2020, gained 1,563 votes in the initial returns. Rodriguez, a former police officer for the city of El Centro, currently works for the Emergency Response Unit at Imperial County Child Protective Services.
Voter registration data indicates that Democrats constitute 43.8% of the Assembly district’s registered voters, while registered Republicans make up approximately 27.3%. A noteworthy 21.3% of registered voters in the district have no party preference.
The general election is scheduled for November 5, where the top two candidates from the primary, regardless of party affiliation, will compete for the Assembly District 36 seat in what is anticipated to be a closely contested and closely observed race.