Senator Biography

• Married to Traci Dush

• On Tuesday, Jan. 7, Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) took the oath office to begin his second term serving the people of the 25th District in the Pennsylvania Senate.
• The 25th Senate District is comprised of Cameron, Clinton, Elk, McKean, Potter and portions of Jefferson and Centre counties.
• As returning chairman of the Senate State Government Committee, his priorities include restoring election integrity, reducing government spending and overregulation, working to balance budgets and fighting against tax increases.
• The Senate State Government Committee has broad oversight over the executive branch, including the Office of the Governor, the departments of State and General Services, and the State Ethics Commission. The committee is also responsible for developing and approving legislation and constitutional amendments relating to campaigns and elections, ethics, and state government transparency.
• For the 2025-26 legislative session, Sen. Dush will again serve as vice chair of the Intergovernmental Operations Committee and as a member of five other committees: Appropriations, Game and Fisheries, Judiciary, Local Government and Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness.
• As the first chairman of the PA Senate Second Amendment Caucus, Cris is a strong supporter of our God-given right to keep and bear arms and will continue working to protect the constitutional rights of Pennsylvanians and the freedoms we enjoy.
• As the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 44, which was unanimously advanced and signed into law (Act 39 of 2023) to ensure sexually exploited child human trafficking victims always have full access to necessary services and support, Sen. Dush will continue to shepherd high-priority, bipartisan, anti-human trafficking initiatives during the 2025-26 legislative session.
• A retired law enforcement officer, Cris was also instrumental in securing dedicated state budget funding to establish the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Section.
• Prior to entering the Senate, Cris served for six years as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 66th Legislative District which covers Jefferson County and municipalities in northern Indiana County.
• A native of Brookville, Cris graduated from Brookville Area High School in 1979 and attended Clarion State College before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. While serving in the Air Force, Cris held positions as a law enforcement specialist, law enforcement patrolman, flight chief (shift leader), Hostage Negotiation Team Chief, Anti-Terrorism Program Manager and Resource Protection Technical Consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA.
• In 1995, Cris returned to the Brookville area to begin 16 years of service with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. He retired as a corrections officer in January 2012.
• In 2000, Cris enlisted with the 193rd Special Operations Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard as a Security Forces member and received numerous awards in the performance of his duties. He was deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle and on the American border in New Mexico. He also served on the staff with the Air Force Special Operations Command.
• Cris also served as the chief of Information Protection, responsible for safeguarding the classified information programs at the Pennsylvania Air National Guard headquarters and units throughout the Commonwealth. In December 2016, Cris retired from the 193rd as a senior non-commissioned officer.
• Cris resides with his wife Traci in Pine Creek Township, Jefferson County.

• Legislator

• Brookville Area High School
• Community College of the Air Force, AAS Degree in Criminal Justice
• Clarion State College
• University of Louisville
• Southern Illinois Carbondale
• Alan Hancock College
• U.S. Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer Academy

• U.S. Air Force 1982-1990
• Pennsylvania Air National Guard 2000 - 2016