INDIO — Some Republican voters who received a campaign mailer from Democratic Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia over the weekend see it as nothing more than eleventh hour dirty politics.
On the surface, Republicans see it as a thinly veiled attempt for Garcia to tout his endorsement by the Democratic Party. In fact, they say the mailer is actually an attempt to promote a little-known Republican candidate to victory. The mailer describes the other candidate, Jonathan Reiss, as a “Lifelong Republican” that is “Pushing for Lower Taxes.” The mailer makes no mention of Jeff Gonzalez, one of two Republicans seeking the 56th Assembly District seat that Garcia now holds.
Gonzalez, a Republican political newcomer, has earned three key endorsements in as many months as he heads into the June 5 Primary. Assembly Minority Leader Brian Dahle and Assembly Republican Caucus Chairman Jay Obernolte recently flew from Sacramento to the Coachella Valley to show their support for Gonzalez in his bid.
Gonzalez, a Marine veteran and pastor who resides in Indio, earlier received the endorsements of both the Imperial Valley Republican Party and the Riverside County Central Committee for California’s 56th State Assembly seat.
Reiss of Bermuda Dunes, on the other hand has received no endorsements, according to his website. Perhapas he is hoping for an eleventh hour endorsement.
“Eduardo Garcia is trying to undermine the political process by deceiving Republican voters into voting for a Republican that has no chance to win in November,” Gonzalez said. “What isn’t listed on the Garcia mailer is the fact that the Republican Party has already made their endorsement in the election and they are endorsing (me).”
Voters are encouraged not to fall for the eleventh hour ploy, Gonzalez cautioned.
“A vote for Jonathon Reiss is a vote for the candidate Eduardo Garcia wants,.” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez, a Marine veteran and pastor who resides in Indio, earlier received the endorsements of both the Imperial Valley Republican Party and the Riverside County Central Committee for California’s 56th State Assembly seat.
Gonzalez is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Gonzalez gained upper-level management experience, served in numerous Counterintelligence posts and was an active participant and operations manager supporting U.S. and Coalition Forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, according to his bio. As head of the Marine Corps Crisis Response Center, Gonzalez provided direct support to more than 12,000 deployed service members.
Gonzalez was a volunteer at Saddleback Church and later served as the Outreach Pastor at Southwest Church. In 2017, Gonzalez began work with the Integrated Recovery Foundation, a nonprofit focusing on recovery programs for women veterans who suffer from Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Garcia served as mayor of Coachella before being elected to the Assembly in 2014. He handily won re-election in 2016.
The 56th Assembly District encompasses all of the Imperial Valley and parts of the Coachella Valley, or about 13 percent of Riverside County. The district is primarily rural and heavily Latino. Coachella Valley communities in the district are Bermuda Dunes, Blythe, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Center, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, Mecca, Thermal, and Thousand Palms.
