Democrat Governor Abigail Spanberger Accused of Sacking Top University Official To Appease Leftist Base

Democrat Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger removed Rector John Rocovich from the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, accusing Rocovich of misconduct in a letter sent Wednesday.

The letter came less than seven months after Spanberger spoke with the Washington Post, when she asserted her commitment to protect university independence, claiming her predecessor, Republican Glenn Youngkin, overstepped his bounds by influencing the policies and leadership of Virginia higher education. (RELATED: University Professors Beg For Return Of Standardized Tests As Students Can’t Do Basic Math)

“The governor’s role is to appoint people,” Spanberger told the Post last November regarding her approach to the composition of boards at state universities. “That’s it. That’s how it’s always been, until recently.”

However, that stance now appears to have changed.

“Your conduct has violated the Code of Conduct for Commonwealth Appointees to Boards, Authorities, and Commissions, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors’ Code of Ethics, and the governing statutes requiring board members to act in accordance with the best interests of Virginia Tech,” Spanberger wrote in the letter, dated Wednesday, May 27. She did not specify which conduct he allegedly violated.

Spanberger, who previously declared Governors shouldn’t interfere with the governance of universities, just fired the most beloved Rector in Va Tech history, John Rocovich. The man who was the force behind recruiting James Franklin to save the football program, who has served…

— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) May 28, 2026

Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares commented on this recent move by the governor. “This is a shameful act to appease her leftwing base and proves once again she is Governor Bait & Switch.” 

Virginia Mercury reported that Rocovich was a donor to the campaign of Spanberger’s political opponent, Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears. 

Spanberger announced in a press release Thursday that she appointed Edward Baine to complete his term. According to the Virginia Public Access Project donor database, Baine donated $5,000 to Spanberger’s 2025 gubernatorial campaign.

Rocovich attended Virginia Tech from 1963 to 1966, graduating cum laude from the College of Business. Since then, he served at Virginia Tech in various roles. He served on the board of visitors from 1997 to 2005, was appointed to serve from 2010 through 2014, and also served from 2002 to 2004, according to his bio on the Virginia Tech Website. “Rocovich has also made Virginia Tech the central focus of his life, with much of his work in support of the university and often behind the scenes.”