56th District State Assembly – Eduardo Garcia vs. Jeff Gonzalez

In the 56th Assembly District, which covers a vast swath of the Eastern Coachella Valley and Imperial County, Democrat Eduardo Garcia has held a strong foothold on the district, and was last re-elected while running unopposed in 2016.

This year, Garcia was handily defeating Republican challenger Jeff Gonzalez, a former Marine who has decried Garcia’s AB 398 that extended the state’s cap-and-trade environmental program, as well as the assemblyman’s support of SB 1, The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, which raised
gas taxes to fund transportation projects across the state.

Gonzalez’s campaign literature states that Garcia sided with “Sacramento special interests” in both instances, which will result in unfair tax increases levied on working families.

“We need to demand better from our representatives,” Gonzalez said in his candidate statement. “As a result of some terrible votes in the Legislature, we have higher gas prices and our local economy continues to struggle. There is no reason why our district has triple the state average unemployment rate. This is simply unacceptable.”

Garcia’s campaign focus has been on the restoration of the Salton Sea, which is entirely encompassed within the 56th district and remains a central issue for local legislators. The lake’s continuing decline has contributed to health-related issues for nearby residents, as well as a depletion of natural habitats and food sources for local wildlife.

Garcia, a lifelong Coachella Valley resident, previously served as Coachella’s first elected mayor, and is chairman of the Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife. His campaign literature states that during his time in the Assembly, he “helped balance the state budget each year, strengthened California’s finances and saved taxpayers billions of dollars in budget reserves.”

Your Vote 2018 homepage

Download the KESQ & CBS Local 2 app on iTunes or Google Play for up-to-the-minute breaking news alerts & more

More: Today’s Top Stories

First Alert Forecast

More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations

Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2

Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2

We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2

Watch live newscasts

Noticias en español: Telemundo 15