Indian American Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and State Senator, Ghazala Hashmi (D-Richmond) issued a statement on June 24, 2025, expressing her full support for the lawsuit filed by Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas and members of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee. 

The legal action challenges what they describe as “unlawful overreach” by Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares, asserting a defense of the Virginia General Assembly’s constitutional authority.

“This lawsuit is an essential and necessary defense of our Constitution, our legislative authority, and the institutional checks and balances that protect Virginia’s democracy. The Governor and Attorney General’s actions not only flout the clear mandates of the Virginia Constitution, but they also disregard the will of the Senate and undermine the General Assembly’s critical role in overseeing appointments to our public university boards,” said Senator Hashmi.

The case, Lucas v. Stimson, et al., was filed in Fairfax County Circuit Court in response to Governor Youngkin’s “attempt to install” eight appointees to the boards of the University of Virginia, Virginia Military Institute (VMI), and George Mason University. The appointments had been rejected by the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on June 9, 2025. However, the Governor in an official statement announced the board appointments on June 20. 

Senator Hashmi, who also serves as Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, emphasized the broader constitutional implications of the executive branch’s actions, warning of the precedent it could set.

“The executive branch does not have the authority to rewrite or ignore the Constitution to suit political preferences,” stated Hashmi. “This lawsuit is about more than university boards. It’s about safeguarding the rule of law. I stand firmly with my Senate colleagues in upholding our constitutional duties.”

A former community college educator, Senator Hashmi also voiced concern over the “politicization” of Virginia’s public institutions. She stressed that Virginia’s universities are not “playgrounds for partisan agendas,” but public institutions entrusted to serve all residents of the Commonwealth.

“Allowing unconfirmed appointees to make critical decisions-such as the removal of the first Black superintendent at Virginia Military Institute-without proper authority is a dangerous erosion of institutional integrity and public trust,” the statement emphasized. 

Senator Hashmi joined her Democratic colleagues in urging the courts to intervene promptly to enforce the Constitution, “protect the independence of Virginia’s public institutions, and uphold the legislative branch’s role in our government.”

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