Cris Dush

Election Day is less than a week away, and one of the more interesting races is the one for the 25th Senatorial District seat held by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, who is retiring.

Over the past several weeks, The Express has reached out to each candidate to find out what makes them tick and why they should get your vote.

Cris Dush, Republican, is the current representative for the 66th legislative district in Pennsylvania. Now, he is seeking election for the Senate.

Like his fellow candidates, Dush has gotten creative during his campaign. During the COVID-19 crisis, Dush has made use of everything under the sun, including social media.

Dush said that holding a position in government has aided him in showing the people what he stands for. His social media pages are also helping him to continue reaching voters, and show them how he’s handling the current pandemic. Dush continues to reach out through the mail as well.

According to Dush, he loves representing rural Pennsylvania. He hopes to continue doing so from a seat in the Senate.

THE EXPRESS: Tell our readers a little bit about your background? Who are you? Where are you from? What practical experience do you possess?

DUSH: I grew up in the Brookville, Pa., area, the eldest of four children to a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor father and a mother who was office manager for a manufacturing company in Brookville.

Married 35 years to my wife Traci and have two grown sons, Ryan and Garrett, who are married and have provided us with grandchildren. Retired Master Sergeant from the 193d Special Operations Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. I had eight years active Duty Air Force and 16 years with the Guard. The first eight years I was Law Enforcement and when entered the Guard they had combined Law Enforcement and Security into a Security Forces career field. An Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran I’ve also served on the Command Staff of the Air Force Special Operations Command, and held a GS-12 position as the Chief of Information Protection for the Pennsylvania Air National Guard headquarters as well as units in State College, Middletown and Fort Indiantown Gap. Along the way I’ve been Officer in Charge of the Small Arms range and Range Safety Officer at Fort Indiantown Gap, Anti-Terrorism Program Manager at RAF Mildenhall England, Resource Protection Technical Consultant to Air Force, Army, Navy and NASA elements at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., in addition to my early years of law enforcement duties up to the position of Flight Chief (Shift Leader).

I had a 16-year career with the Department of Corrections which included Corrections Officer, Records Specialist and Records Supervisor. About four years of experience between leaving the Air Force and entering the Department of Corrections working as an Insurance Investigator.

Over five years in the Pennsylvania State House representing the 66th Legislative District which includes all of Jefferson County as well as ten townships and six boroughs in northern Indiana County. My Committee assignments are the Joint (House and Senate) Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, Energy and Environment, State Government, Labor and Industry and Urban Affairs committees. I’m the Chair of the National Security Sub-Committee of the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Currently I’m on the Boards of Community Action of Jefferson and Clarion counties, the 4H Advisory Council and the Bucktail Council of the Boy Scouts of America and I’m a member of the Jefferson County Farm Bureau.

THE EXPRESS: Why should voters in the 25th District vote for you?

DUSH: The work I’ve already been doing to root out corruption and uphold the Constitutions of Pennsylvania and the U.S. has earned me the moniker “Keeper of the Covenant” by Harrisburg Press and for five years straight the Reader’s Choice award for Favorite Local Political Leader in the very conservative Jefferson County. When Gov. Wolf withheld money from health, safety and welfare programs like Disabled Service Providers during the 2015 budget impasse, Dush published an investigative report which showed he was authorizing spending on items such as pontoon boats. It lead to the breaking of the stalemate and a more reasonable budget. Dush has been co-founder of the Common Sense Caucus which unearthed over 100 hidden “Special Funds” only known to a select few members of leadership in the legislature which had over $12 Billion socked away.

A staunch defender of life from conception. As a former member of law enforcement I have always held the Constitutional protections of the rights of The People to keep and bear arms found in the Pennsylvania and the U.S. constitutions were intelligently designed because “When seconds count the police are minutes away” and more importantly that right protects the citizens from the tyranny of those who would use the force of government against it’s own citizens.

THE EXPRESS: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your campaign?

DUSH: More than anything the Governor’s responses to the pandemic of constantly moving the goal posts has caused so much harm to my constituents and confusion to everyone that it has made it extremely difficult to get out and meet people the way I like to. Letting potential constituents give you a one-on-one job interview is the surest way to combat negative ads. When people look you in the eye and get the same in return with a sound explanation of what is going on it’s extremely effective. They get a feel for who you are.

THE EXPRESS: Pennsylvania is facing record unemployment as a result of the pandemic. If elected, what will you do down the road to get Pennsylvania back on track?

DUSH: We are already there and I’m already working on it. I’ve voted for legislation to get our citizens safely back to work and introduced more to do the same. While the state house members in the 25th Senatorial District have been pushing to get all of our businesses responsibly opened it’s unfortunate that there are not enough like-minded members who are willing to join us. That is beginning to change for the better, but far too slowly. We also have to get the state Unemployment Compensation system fixed. over $400 million has been wasted on companies contracted to fix the IT system and we still haven’t got a working system. The Governor needs to start firing and replacing some key people.

THE EXPRESS: Anything else you want to add or that voters should know about you?

DUSH: I love Jesus, The Messiah, and His Father, Almighty God. Some have tried to tell me God is unconstitutional in government, however the Pennsylvania Constitution and most other state constitutions make him First. I take my oath of office seriously and will protect and defend this republic and the Constitutions which give it form as I’ve always done.

I’ve been around this world and seen the heights and the depravities of what it has to offer. Rural Pennsylvania and it’s people are truly some of the highs. It’s why I always come home and why I love standing in defense of our people and the beautiful bounty we have been blessed with and why I count it an honor to be in a position to do so.