Susan Baker Weddington | |
---|---|
Chairman of the Texas Republican Party | |
In office 1997–2003 | |
Preceded by | Tom Pauken |
Succeeded by | Tina Benkiser |
Personal details | |
Born | April 6,1951 Detroit,Michigan,US |
Died | September 1,2020 San Antonio,Texas,US |
Spouse(s) | Ernest Caldwell,Jr. d. Robert Weddington (1983-2015) |
Children | 1 |
Residence(s) | San Antonio,Texas Fredericksburg,Texas |
Alma mater | Trinity University |
Occupation | Businesswoman |
Susan Baker Weddington (April 6,1951 to September 1,2020) was a Businesswoman who from 1997 to 2003 served as party chair of Texas Republican Party during the administrations of Governors George W. Bush and Rick Perry [1] She was the first female chair of either major party in Texas.
Born in Detroit,Michigan,Weddington moved to San Antonio before she was eighteen months of age. [2] She is one of two children of the late Louis C. Baker and the former Elaine Baird. She has a brother,David Baker. [3]
Weddington graduated in 1969 from Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio. [4] and after that from Trinity University in San Antonio,from which she received a bachelor's degree in communications and was for a time an instructor of photojournalism. [2]
The firm Kinetic Concepts formerly employed Weddington. [5] A Christian conservative activist,Weddington became interested in politics as the mother of a teenaged son visiting the Texas State Capitol in Austin. Her particular interests at the time were education and product liability laws. [6]
In 1990,Weddington placed a black wreath that read "Death to the Family" at the door of the campaign headquarters in Austin for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee,Ann Richards,the state treasurer. At the state Republican convention that year,she participated in a prayer rally and called upon the Almighty to "watch over the caucus rooms and the convention hall." [7]
In 1997,Weddington was unanimously elected state chairwoman by the Republican state executive committee to succeed conservative Tom Pauken of Dallas,who resigned after three years in the position to run for state attorney general. [2] She was Pauken's choice as his successor. For part of her tenure,the vice chairman was the conservative author and activist David Barton. Weddington held support from both the religious conservative wing of her party and the fiscal conservatives. Chuck Anderson,then the executive director of the Christian Coalition,described Weddington as "very,very well respected by members of the party from all ideological stripes." In 2000,Republicans held 1,600 of the approximately 4,000 elected offices in Texas but all statewide offices. Weddington said that she was determined to bring the party to long-term majority status,with particular emphasis on the state legislature. [6]
In 2002,Weddington broke with tradition as state chair when she became involved in a heated Republican primary for the District 25 state Senate seat in San Antonio in which Republican Jeff Wentworth ran successfully for re-nomination. One of her predecessors as chairman,Fred Meyer of Dallas,had pointedly refused to become involved in such primary races but stood with the general election nominees regardless of policy positions. [8]
When she stepped down as state chairwoman in 2003,her party had gained a firm footing in major political offices in Texas. Weddington for six years then headed the OneStar Foundation,a non-profit organization formed by Governor Rick Perry to connect such organizations with resources and expertise to accomplish their missions and to promote volunteerism. [9] She was succeeded as chairman by another woman,Tina Benkiser,a lawyer from Houston.
Weddington retired in 2009,and Perry named Elizabeth Seale her successor at the OneStar Foundation. [10] In the 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary,Weddington came out of retirement to endorse Rick Perry,who defeated two female challengers,including U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. [11] Weddington retired to Gillespie County near Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country with her second husband,George Robert "Bob" Weddington,whom she married in San Antonio on April 1,1983. [12]
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) is a lineal association dedicated to perpetuating the memory of the founding families and soldiers of the Republic of Texas. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is best known for its former role as caretakers of The Alamo. In early 2015,Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush officially removed control of the Alamo to the Texas General Land Office. The DRT were also the custodians of the historic French Legation Museum until 2017,which is owned by the State of Texas and is now operated by the Texas Historical Commission. In addition,they operate a museum in Austin on the history of Texas.
Kay Bailey Hutchison is an American attorney,television correspondent,politician,diplomat,and was the 22nd United States Permanent Representative to NATO from 2017 until 2021. A member of the Republican Party,she was a United States Senator from Texas from 1993 to 2013.
The 2006 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 7,2006,to elect the governor of Texas. The election was a rare five-way race,with incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry running for re-election against Democrat Chris Bell and Independents Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman,as well as Libertarian nominee James Werner.
The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in the state of Texas. It is currently chaired by Abraham George,succeeding Matt Rinaldi who finished his term in 2024. The party is headquartered in Austin,and is legally considered to be a political action committee. It is currently the state's ruling party,controlling the majority of Texas's U.S. House seats,both U.S. Senate seats,both houses of the state legislature,and all statewide executive offices.
Tina Renee Johns Benkiser is an attorney and was from 2003 to 2009 the state chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. She became chairman on the resignation of Susan Weddington. Benkiser resigned from the post in 2009 to serve as a senior adviser in Governor Rick Perry’s campaign for re-election.
Esperanza "Hope" Andrade is a businesswoman from San Antonio,Texas,who is the former commissioner representing employers on the Texas Workforce Commission,an appointed position which she held from 2013 to 2015. From 2008 to 2012,she was Secretary of State of Texas,an appointed position under Governor Rick Perry.
Thomas Weir Pauken is an American politician and member of the Republican Party.
The 2010 Texas gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday,November 2,2010,to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry ran successfully for election to a third consecutive term. He won the Republican primary against U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and political newcomer,Debra Medina. The former mayor of Houston,Bill White,won the Democratic nomination. Kathie Glass,a lawyer from Houston and previous candidate for Texas Attorney General,won the Libertarian nomination. Deb Shafto was the nominee of the Texas Green Party. Andy Barron,an orthodontist from Lubbock,was a declared write-in candidate.
The 2012 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 6,2012,along with other elections to the United States Senate the United States House of Representatives in additional states. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison decided to retire instead of running for reelection to a fourth full term. This was the first open seat in this seat since 1957.
Elizabeth Ames Jones is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Railroad Commission,the regulatory body over petroleum and natural gas.
Eva Martinez Guzman is an American attorney,politician,and jurist who served as a member of the Texas Supreme Court from 2009 to 2021. In 2022,she became a partner at Wright Close &Barger,LLP in Houston,Texas.
Stephen Peter Munisteri is an American attorney who served as the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas from 2010 to 2015. In 2017,Munisteri was appointed to the White House staff as deputy assistant to the president and principal deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison.
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas were held on Tuesday,November 6,2012,to elect the 36 U.S. representatives from the state of Texas—an increase of four seats in reapportionment following the 2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices,including a quadrennial presidential election and an election for the U.S. Senate. The primary election had been scheduled to be held on March 6,2012,with a runoff election on May 22;because of problems arising from redistricting,the primary was postponed to May 29,and the run-off to July 31.
James Richard Leininger is an American physician,businessman and conservative and Christian activist from San Antonio,Texas.
The 2014 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 4,2014,to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry,who had served since the resignation of then-Governor George W. Bush on December 21,2000,declined to run for an unprecedented fourth full term,making this the first open election for governor of the state since 1990.
The 2014 general election was held in the U.S. state of Texas on November 4,2014. All of Texas's executive officers were up for election as well as a United States Senate seat,and all of Texas's thirty-six seats in the United States House of Representatives. Primary elections were held on March 4,2014. Primary runoffs,required if no candidate wins a majority of the vote,were held on May 27,2014. Elections were also held for the Texas legislature and proposition 1,seeking funds for Texas highways.
Anna Maria Farias is an American lawyer and government official who currently serves as Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Prior to assuming her current role,Farias served as vice chair of the Republican Party of Bexar County,Texas from 2015 through 2017. Farias is also chair of the Board of Regents at Texas Woman's University.
James Roy Dickey is an American executive from Austin,Texas and the former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. He was elected by the 64-member Republican State Executive Committee meeting in Austin on June 3,2017,and re-elected at the state convention on June 15,2018. In his third campaign he was defeated by Allen West on July 20,2020.
The 2022 Texas gubernatorial election took place on November 8,2022,to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican governor Greg Abbott won re-election to a third term,defeating Democratic nominee and former Congressman,Beto O'Rourke. All statewide elected offices are currently held by Republicans. In his previous gubernatorial race in 2018,Abbott won with 55.8% of the vote.
The 2021 Texas's 6th congressional district special election was held on May 1,2021. The seat became vacant after incumbent Republican Ron Wright died on February 7 of COVID-19.