Virginia Senate Democrats Block Dozens of Youngkin Appointees

Lawmakers remove about 40 of former GOP governor's picks for state boards

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Senate Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly have blocked the confirmation of around 40 state board appointees named by former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin before his term ended in January. The blocked appointments range from positions on the state Board of Education to the Clean Energy Advisory Board and the state's LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Senate Democrats have decided to keep one of Youngkin's final appointees, Beth Ackerman, an administrator at a system of private schools for students with disabilities.

Why it matters

This move highlights the ongoing partisan tensions over gubernatorial appointments in Virginia, with Democrats now wielding their power to remove many of Youngkin's picks for state boards and commissions. It raises questions about the politicization of these positions and whether qualified individuals are being denied the opportunity to serve based on their political affiliations.

The details

Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Aaron Rouse of Virginia Beach, blocked the confirmation of around 40 state board appointees named by former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The blocked appointments include positions on the state Board of Education, the Clean Energy Advisory Board, and the state's LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Rouse declined to explain the reasoning behind removing the board members, stating only that the legislature was 'happy to confirm more than 98% of the former governor's appointments.' However, some of the removed appointees, such as Marc Carraway, a Democrat appointed by Youngkin to the state Board of Education, expressed disappointment at the decision.

  • The General Assembly must confirm all gubernatorial appointments during its legislative session.
  • The Senate legislation to remove the Youngkin appointees was passed on Tuesday, February 11, 2026.

The players

Glenn Youngkin

Former Republican governor of Virginia who made the appointments that are now being blocked by Senate Democrats.

Aaron Rouse

Democratic senator from Virginia Beach who chairs the committee that handles gubernatorial appointments and led the effort to remove the Youngkin appointees.

Marc Carraway

A Democrat appointed by Youngkin to serve on the state Board of Education, who was unaware of the plans to remove him from the board until contacted by a reporter.

Andy Rotherham

A former state Board of Education member who has served under both Republican and Democratic governors, and who criticized the move to block Carraway's appointment as 'broken' and a 'political circus.'

Abigail Spanberger

The current Democratic governor of Virginia, who would have four of her own members on the nine-member state Board of Education if the General Assembly approves the Senate's actions.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I'm a little disappointed to hear that this is going on, and nobody has had any communication with me. I decided to serve on the board because I wanted to serve the kids and the educators of the commonwealth. That's not political rhetoric, that's what I've done my entire professional career, and I was hoping to bring my knowledge and experience to that role ... I'm not a political operative, and if I was, it would have been for the (Democrats).”

— Marc Carraway, Appointee to state Board of Education (pilotonline.com)

“Marc Carraway has decades of experience leading Virginia public schools. He's a well-regarded rural school principal (and) people of all political stripes respect his work. If somebody like him gets caught up in this political circus, really ask what kind of leadership they're going to be getting on the board.”

— Andy Rotherham, Former state Board of Education member (pilotonline.com)

“I've been here 23 years, and I can say that I've never seen removals of gubernatorial appointees in any magnitude approaching this. I really wish we weren't doing this. I recognize it's the prerogative of the majority. I think it's an unfortunate road that we are going down, and I hope that we don't do this again in the future.”

— Mark Obenshain, Republican state senator (pilotonline.com)

What’s next

The House committee is set to take up the legislation to remove the Youngkin appointees on Wednesday afternoon. If the General Assembly approves the Senate's actions, Governor Spanberger would have the opportunity to appoint four of her own members to the nine-member state Board of Education by July, with five holdover Youngkin appointees remaining.

The takeaway

This partisan battle over gubernatorial appointments highlights the ongoing political divisions in Virginia and the challenges of maintaining nonpartisan, qualified leadership on state boards and commissions. It raises concerns about the potential politicization of these positions and the risk of qualified individuals being denied the opportunity to serve based on their political affiliations.