Spanberger Supports Reforming Appointment Process To Reconcile Differences At Va.'S Colleges

By Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

September 8, 2025

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger told the Mercury in a recent interview that “nothing is off the table” when it comes to reconciling the differences among federal and state leaders over higher education issues that have boiled over in Virginia this year.

Spanberger’s response comes as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to target colleges and universities in Virginia and across the nation for DEI practices, alleging that the institutions are hiring instructors based on race or gender and discriminating against certain students, which the schools have refuted. George Mason University is facing four federal investigations. The University of Virginia has also come under federal scrutiny for allegedly failing to fully dismantle its DEI program.

Democratic leaders in the Virginia Senate have rejected 22 of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s appointments to university governing boards, prompted by the lawmakers’ “genuine concerns about the qualifications, backgrounds, and intentions” of the appointees, Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, wrote in a letter to Youngkin.

Senate committee Democrats block 14 more Youngkin appointees from Va. college boards

The governor’s office, in turn, criticized the lawmakers, writing that they have “consistently caused harm to the governance and operation of our colleges and universities.” The governor’s administration has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to lift a temporary suspension on the appointments for three governing boards at Virginia’s higher education institutions brought forward by Senate Democrats.

Spanberger said she would support efforts to allow universities to hire their own counsel, approved by university boards. She also said she would support a confirmation process that is “truly confirmatory” compared to the current delayed process that, by practice, has allowed appointments to begin serving immediately, before confirmation by the full General Assembly during its session. She said she would also support efforts to have appointments start at the beginning of the year and emphasized the need for clear appointee removal standards.

On August 12, Spanberger announced some of her ideas for higher education as part of her overall “Strengthening Virginia Schools Plan,” which includes making college more affordable and accessible, as well as increasing college coursework for high school students.

“I still have the benefit of many months to continue looking at the way that some of the board members are handling themselves,” Spanberger said in the interview “but certainly nothing is off the table in terms of the steps that I would take to frankly, strengthen what is clearly a weak system where universities here in Virginia can become this punching bag (to) the detriment of students and professors in the larger university community, but most importantly, the students.”

The campaign office for Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee, did not respond to questions about her higher education stance and has not published any plans about it. She has expressed support for laboratory schools, which operate like charter schools, that are created and operated in partnership with colleges and universities.

Early voting for governor and other statewide seats will begin on Sept. 19.

This story was originally published by the Virginia Mercury. For more stories from the Virginia Mercury, visit Virginia Mercury.com.