Virginia Democrats blocked 14 gubernatorial appointments to state university boards last week, escalating a fight with Republican governor Glenn Youngkin over institutional leadership.

The Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, led by a Democratic majority, voted 8 to 6 to reject four Youngkin appointments to the Virginia Military Institute board, four to the University of Virginia’s board and six to George Mason University’s board. The latter rejections now leave the GMU Board of Visitors without a quorum at a time when they are under federal scrutiny for alleged discriminatory hiring practices, which GMU president Gregory Washington has sharply disputed, even as concerns over his future hang in the balance.

Youngkin called the move “blatant partisanship.” But Senate Democrats have argued that the governor participated in his own brand of partisanship, stocking college boards with divisive conservative political figures. (An Inside Higher Ed analysis in July found that Youngkin has appointed numerous conservative activists, former Republican lawmakers and officials, and multiple GOP megadonors, among others.)

Commonwealth Democrats have also demanded that Youngkin cease such appointments until he meets with Senate leaders, who have accused the governor of failing to adequately consult with them.

The Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections previously blocked eight appointments in June. That action prompted a legal fight, with the governor arguing that his picks should be allowed to serve on their respective boards until the full Senate weighs in.

Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, backed the governor’s view, but a judge blocked that effort in July after Democrats sued. Miyares has since appealed the case to the Virginia Supreme Court.

Board Rejections

At last week’s committee meeting, the Democrats shot down all 14 of Youngkin’s board picks in less than 10 minutes. Democratic state senator Aaron Rouse, the committee chair, offered little explanation or time for discussion, prompting pushback from Republican colleagues.

Senator Bill DeSteph, a Republican who serves on the committee, objected to the attempt to rush through the vote. “Why wouldn’t we wait for the Supreme Court to rule on this?” DeSteph asked. He suggested there were only three reasons the committee would do such a thing: to influence the Supreme Court as it weighs the attorney general’s appeal over whether previously rejected appointments can serve, to “usurp their authority” or “to stick our finger in their eye.”

Rouse dismissed the remarks, arguing that the committee members “also have a job to do.”

Democratic leaders also expressed their concerns about recent board appointments in a letter to Youngkin signed by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell and other ranking members.

“Over the past two months, the Senate has been compelled to reject twenty-two of your nominees to these critical governing bodies. This unprecedented level of rejection reflects not partisan obstruction, but genuine concerns about the qualifications, backgrounds, and intentions of your appointees,” they wrote. “The pattern of inappropriate nominations and acquiescence to outside political influence has created significant uncertainty and instability within our higher education system at a time when these institutions need steady, qualified leadership.”

Youngkin responded with a statement accusing Democrats of causing irreparable harm.

“Removing these talented, experienced, and dedicated volunteer board members is an unprecedented breach of public trust. Even more concerning, they refused to provide Virginians with any explanation for their decision. This is blatant partisanship that damages our great universities,” Youngkin wrote in a statement following the committee’s decision last week.

The recently rejected board members include several former GOP officials, including some who worked under the first Trump administration; individuals employed at conservative think tanks; unsuccessful political candidates; and donors who contributed to Youngkin and other Republicans. (Youngkin’s predecessors also appointed numerous donors, but fewer political figures.)

Board appointees blocked last week were:

George Mason University

• Preston Cooper
• Jeffrey Dinwoodie
• Bobbie Kilberg
• William Moschella
• Sarah Parshall Perry
• Harold Pyon

University of Virginia

• James Donovan
• John Harris
• H. Eugene Lockhart
• Calvert Saunders Moore

Virginia Military Institute

• Garrett Exner
• L. Scott Lingamfelter
• Ernesto Sampson
• Lloyd Taliaferro

Inside Higher Ed reached out to several affected individuals, but none was willing to comment.

The Looming Battles

In addition to blasting Democrats for partisanship and questioning their authority to reject nominees, Youngkin made clear that he will continue to fight to get his board members seated.

“In my view, a single Senate committee does not have the legal authority to perform duties that the Constitution and Code explicitly assign to the full General Assembly,” Youngkin wrote. The governor added he is “confident in our position” as the state Supreme Court weighs the case.

But even if Youngkin prevails in court, Democrats plan to take up the fight in the Legislature.

Surovell and others told Youngkin in their letter that Democrats “intend to propose significant reforms to how [Boards of] Visitors are nominated and confirmed in the 2026 Regular Session,” adding that “further appointments” to university boards “in the interim would be unwise.”

As the fight plays out, Democrats appear to have the advantage of timing, given that term limits require Youngkin to exit office next year. While a new Republican governor would likely appoint more conservative figures, Democrats may be able to sway how state universities are governed if a member of their party is elected while multiple vacancies persist on governing boards.