A court set a 2026 trial in the dispute over Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s university board appointments, effectively blocking his contested slate and handing the seat-filling power to incoming governor Abigail Spanberger. The litigation arose after the Democrat-led Privileges and Elections Committee rejected multiple Youngkin nominees tied to GOP donors and activists. Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares sought expedited review by the state Supreme Court but were remanded to a lower court. With Spanberger assuming office next month, Democrats will control the next round of appointments and can reshape board majorities at institutions such as George Mason University, where vacancies have hampered governance. The outcome will quickly alter trustee composition across the state, affecting presidential searches, academic policy decisions, and oversight of budgets at Virginia’s public universities.