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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, unsuccessfully as it developed, for state attorney general.<ref name=laj/> She was Pauken's choice as his successor. For part of her tenure, the vice chairman was the conservative author and activist David Barton (born 1954).<ref name=zoominfo/> The post ultimately went to [[John Cornyn]], now the long-serving senior [[U.S. Senator]] for Texas. Weddington held strength from both the religious conservative wing of her party and the fiscal conservatives as well. 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.<ref name=chairstarrole/>

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, unsuccessfully as it developed, for state attorney general.<ref name=laj/> She was Pauken's choice as his successor. For part of her tenure, the vice chairman was the conservative author and activist David Barton (born 1954).<ref name=zoominfo/> The post ultimately went to [[John Cornyn]], now the long-serving senior [[U.S. Senator]] for Texas. Weddington held strength from both the religious conservative wing of her party and the fiscal conservatives as well. 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.<ref name=chairstarrole/>

In 2002, Weddington broke with tradition as state chair when she became involved in a heated Republican [[primary]] for a state Senate seat in San Antonio. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20120924-fred-meyer-businessman-who-helped-lead-gop-to-dominate-dallas-politics-dead-at-84.ece|title=Fred Meyer, who built the  Dallas and Texas GOP into dominant force, dies at age 84 |publisher=''The Dallas Morning News''|author=Gromer Jeffers, Jr., and the [[Moderate Republican]] incumbent Jeff Wentworth for the District 25 seat. A strong [[abortion]] supporter, Wentworth, nevertheless won once more but was unseated a decade later in the 2012 Republican primary by conservative challenger [[Donna Campbell]], a [[physician]] from [[New Braunfels]] in Comal County.<ref>Kolten Parker, "New Sen. Campbell emphasizes conservatism," ''The San Antonio Express-News,'' December 27, 2012.</ref>

In 2002, Weddington broke with tradition as state chair when she became involved in a heated Republican [[primary]] for a state Senate seat in San Antonio. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20120924-fred-meyer-businessman-who-helped-lead-gop-to-dominate-dallas-politics-dead-at-84.ece|title=Fred Meyer, who built the  Dallas and Texas GOP into dominant force, dies at age 84 |publisher=''The Dallas Morning News''|author=Gromer Jeffers, Jr., and the [[Moderate Republican]] incumbent Jeff Wentworth for the District 25 seat. A strong [[abortion]] supporter, Wentworth, nevertheless won once more but was unseated a decade later in the 2012 Republican primary by conservative challenger [[Donna Campbell]], a [[physician]] from [[New Braunfels]] in Comal County.

When she stepped down as state chairwoman in 2003, her party had gained a firm footing on major political offices in Texas. Weddington for six years then headed the OneStar Foundation, a [[non-profit organization]] formed by Governor Perry to connects such organizations with resources and expertise to accomplish their missions and to promote  volunteerism.<ref name=onestar>"Susan Weddington President/CEO OneStar Foundation, faithworksconference.com, March 19, 2015.</ref><ref name=zoominfo>{{cite web|url=http://www.zoominfo.com/s/#!search/profile/person?personId=1182705&targetid=profile|title=Susan Weddington|publisher=zoominfo.com|accessdate=March 19, 2015}}</ref> She was succeeded as chairwoman by another woman, Tina Benkiser, a lawyer from [[Houston, Texas|Houston]].​

When she stepped down as state chairwoman in 2003, her party had gained a firm footing on major political offices in Texas. Weddington for six years then headed the OneStar Foundation, a [[non-profit organization]] formed by Governor Perry to connects such organizations with resources and expertise to accomplish their missions and to promote  volunteerism.<ref name=onestar>"Susan Weddington President/CEO OneStar Foundation, faithworksconference.com, March 19, 2015.</ref><ref name=zoominfo>{{cite web|url=http://www.zoominfo.com/s/#!search/profile/person?personId=1182705&targetid=profile|title=Susan Weddington|publisher=zoominfo.com|accessdate=March 19, 2015}}</ref> She was succeeded as chairwoman by another woman, Tina Benkiser, a lawyer from [[Houston, Texas|Houston]].​