Governor-elect Spanberger will now select 22 board members.
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The legal battle over Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s college board appointees has ended after a judge set a trial for 2026. virginia business reported. Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger will take office next month, which will render the lawsuit moot.
The case would be dismissed, ending efforts to install Republican governor’s board picks, many of whom have previously worked for or donated to the Republican Party but were rejected by Virginia Democrats. Spanberger, a Democrat, will now be able to nominate 22 board members who would otherwise be appointed by Youngkin, giving her a chance to shift the board’s political balance away from the right.
Younkin and Attorney General Jason Miares had sought to speed up their legal fight by asking the Virginia Supreme Court to review a lower court ruling that determined blocked board picks could not occupy their seats. Youngkin argued that board appointments must be rejected by the full Senate, not just the Democratic-led Privileges and Elections Committee, which has rejected multiple picks.
However, the Virginia Supreme Court declined to hear the case and sent it back to the lower court for a new trial.
Spanberger and state Democrats are expected to quickly fill multiple vacancies that have left the board in trouble, including at George Mason University, which does not have a quorum. The GMU Board of Trustees recently held a meeting, albeit without a quorum and legal questions surrounding its ability to hold the meeting.
Youngkin’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Inside higher education.
