Democrats in the Virginia Senate are escalating their battle with Governor Glenn Youngkin, rejecting 14 of his appointments to university governing boards last week—bringing the total number they’ve blocked this year to 22.
The Senate Privileges & Elections Committee, controlled by Democrats, voted down the appointees, claiming concerns about their “backgrounds and ideological positions.” But Republicans say the move is an unprecedented power grab designed to undermine the governor’s constitutional role in shaping higher education leadership.
In response, the governor’s office sent a letter on August 29 blasting Democrats for harming Virginia’s institutions. The letter, signed by Chief of Staff John Littel and Counsel Richard Cullen, condemned the maneuver as “unprecedented attempts to intimidate board members” that weaken the governance of the state’s colleges.
“While claiming to care so deeply about Virginia’s prestigious institutions of higher education, your actions have consistently caused harm to the governance and operation of our colleges and universities,” the letter states. “Your unprecedented attempts to intimidate board members threaten the best-in-class governance that we have worked so hard to build.”
Youngkin’s administration has also filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Virginia, seeking to lift a temporary suspension imposed by Senate Democrats on three of the governor’s governing board appointments. The administration expressed confidence the court will remind Democrats of their proper role in the confirmation process.
Democrats have framed their opposition as a defense against “partisan attacks,” pointing to past investigations of universities under the Trump administration. But Youngkin’s team argues it is Democrats—not the governor—who are politicizing Virginia’s universities at the expense of good governance.
