Cris Dush

In March 2018, Dush gained some notoriety for introducing resolutions, co-sponsored by 12 other Republicans state legislators, to impeach four Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices in response to the court's decision in League of Women Voters v. Commonwealth to strike down a Republican-drawn Pennsylvania congressional district map as a partisan gerrymander that violated the state constitution's requirement of "free and equal" elections.[5][6] Dush made this proposal after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from Republican legislative leaders in Pennsylvania to block the redrawn congressional map.[7] Dush asserted that the justices' decision constituted "misbehavior in office" and was a judicial infringement on legislative power.[6] The attempt to impeach the justices was denounced by Chief Justice Thomas Saylor, and failed after House Republican Leader David L. Reed decided not to support it.[8]

In November 2019, Dush announced he would not seek a fourth term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, noting a promise he made to only serve three terms when he was first elected in 2014.[9] In January 2020, Dush said he would seek the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania Auditor General, joining a race against two other Republicans seeking the nomination.[10] The next month, however, Dush left that race and announced that he would run for the state Senate instead,[11] for the 25th district seat left open by the retirement of Joe Scarnati.[12] Dush won the race for the seat against Democrat Margie Brown.[13]

In 2020, Dush faced accusations of antisemitism after comparing Governor Tom Wolf's handling of the coronavirus pandemic in Pennsylvania to Nazi Germany. A group of Jewish organizations, including the Philadelphia branch of the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, condemned Dush's comments as "offensive and wrong."[14][15]

Dush opposed proposals by Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman to legalize the adult use of marijuana in Pennsylvania.[4]

After the 2020 Presidential election, Dush was one of 26 Pennsylvania House Republicans who called for withdrawing certification of presidential electors, despite there being no evidence of fraud, and despite Joe Biden winning Pennsylvania by over 80,000 votes. This was also after federal appeals brought by the Trump campaign were dismissed due to lack of evidence.[16]