Kentucky’s attorney general, Gregory D. Stumbo, has sent a letter to Ernie Fletcher, the state’s governor, warning him that his recent appointments to the governing boards of the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville violate state law, The Courier-Journal, a newspaper in Louisville, reported today.

Mr. Stumbo, a Democrat, has given Mr. Fletcher, a Republican, 10 days to seek the resignations of five Republican appointees to the two boards, arguing that their selection does not conform to a state law that specifies how boards are to be balanced by gender and political affiliation. If the governor does not comply, the attorney general has said he will take legal action.

Kentucky law requires that gubernatorial appointments to the two boards reflect the political makeup of the state. Mr. Stumbo said that, based on voter-registration figures, Democrats should have a 10-to-7 advantage over Republicans on the Louisville board and a 10-to-6 majority at the University of Kentucky. Currently, there are nine Republicans and eight Democrats on the Louisville board, and nine Republicans and seven Democrats on the University of Kentucky board.

For his part, Governor Fletcher disputes Mr. Stumbo’s interpretation of the law and says his appointments are legal.

The dispute over trustees is just the most recent dustup between Mr. Stumbo, one of the most prominent Democratic officeholders in the state, and Mr. Fletcher, who is running for re-election. The pair also differed over the governor’s appointments to the board of Murray State University, and Mr. Stumbo went to court to successfully block the transfer of funds from the state’s prepaid-tuition program, which Mr. Fletcher had endorsed. —Karin Fischer