HARRISBURG – Senator Cris Dush (R-25) took his oath of office to begin his first term as a Pennsylvania state senator at a ceremony at the State Capitol in Harrisburg today.
Senator Dush was sworn in by the Honorable Kenneth A. Mummah, President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Perry and Juniata counties.
He won election to the Senate seat in November after serving for six years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Senator Dush’s swearing-in can be viewed here.
“I am honored my friends and neighbors have entrusted me to be their voice in the Senate,” Senator Dush said as he thanked voters. “It was an incredible privilege to have the opportunity to serve the people of my community while in the House. Now that I am a member of the Senate, I will continue to work hard on their behalf to be an open, accessible, an effective advocate for them.”
As a state Senator, his priorities include reducing government spending and over-regulation, working to balance budgets, and fighting against tax increases. Senator Dush is a strong supporter of 2nd amendment rights and will work to protect the constitutional rights of Pennsylvanians and the freedoms they enjoy.
“We are facing a number of daunting challenges in Pennsylvania,” Senator Dush said. “It is my goal to help find solutions to these problems for the people of our area and throughout the Commonwealth.”
Senator Dush speaks about his priorities here.
A native of Brookville, Senator Dush 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, he 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, Senator Dush 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, Senator Dush 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.
In addition, Senator Dush 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, he retired from the 193rd as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO).
Senator Dush resides in Pine Creek Township with his wife, Traci.
CONTACT: Cecelia Boyer – cboyer@pasen.gov