Gonzalez, Obeso-Martinez Vie for Assembly Seat
The race for California's 36th Assembly District pits incumbent Republican Jeff Gonzalez against Democratic challenger Ida Obeso-Martinez over cost of living.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Inflation
Live Poll
Should California suspend its gas tax to ease the cost of living?
Republican incumbent Jeff Gonzalez faces Democratic challenger Ida Obeso-Martinez in California's 36th Assembly District. Both candidates have focused on the rising cost of living in the state.
Why it matters
The contest highlights a dispute over whether suspending California's gas tax would ease household costs or weaken funding for road safety and infrastructure. The gas tax proposal has been rejected three times in Sacramento.
The gas tax suspension proposal has been rejected three times in Sacramento, according to the extraction. The extraction does not provide vote counts or the election result.
The players
Jeff Gonzalez
Jeff Gonzalez is the Republican incumbent representing California's 36th Assembly District and has made suspending the state gas tax a priority.
Ida Obeso-Martinez
Ida Obeso-Martinez is the Democratic challenger seeking the 36th Assembly District seat and opposes suspending the state gas tax.
The details
Gonzalez has pushed for suspending California's gas tax, and his team sought a vote on the proposal in Sacramento over several years. Obeso-Martinez opposes the suspension, arguing gas tax revenue helps pay for safer streets and infrastructure.
Timeline
Over the past several years, Gonzalez's team pushed for a gas tax suspension vote in Sacramento.
November 3, 2026: Election night coverage of the District 36 race was reported.
Roadmap
The race continues a pattern of repeated legislative attempts to suspend California's gas tax, which have been rejected three times in Sacramento. The contest turns on whether the state's cost-of-living pressures will shift lawmakers toward suspension or keep funding for infrastructure intact.
If the gas tax is suspended, drivers in California would no longer pay the state fuel tax at the pump. Opponents argue the lost revenue would reduce funding for safer streets and infrastructure that residents rely on.
The takeaway
Voters weighing this race are choosing between immediate fuel-cost relief and continued funding for road safety and infrastructure. The outcome will signal how California weighs those tradeoffs under rising living costs.
Further reading
Track the cost-of-living debate in our Inflation coverage for broader context on prices across California.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NBC Palm Springs.
Live Poll
Should California suspend its gas tax to ease the cost of living?
