Tina Benkiser

Who is Tina Benkiser?

Tina Renee Johns Benkiser is a Houston attorney who served as chairman of the Republican Party of Texas from 2003 to 2009. She became chairman on the resignation of Susan Weddington.

Benkiser resigned as chairman on October 5, 2009, to join the reelection campaign of Governor Rick Perry. Under party rules, the chairman must remain neutral in primary election campaigns. Perry defeated challenges from U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Tea Party movement activist Debra Medina in the Republican primary held on March 2, 2010. Benkiser was succeeded by Cathie Adams of Dallas, a conservative activist and the Republican national committeewoman from Texas. Adams was succeeded in the post in the state convention held on June 12, 2010, by Steve Munisteri of Houston, who thirty years earlier founded the Young Conservatives of Texas.

Benkiser was elected to full two-year terms in 2004, 2006, and again on June 14, 2008. Robin Armstrong, an African American physician from Dickinson was the party vice chairman in the latter portion of Benkiser's term. He was elected to his second full term in 2008.