of their ten seats in parliament, including Sponheim's seat in Hordaland. Following this defeat, Sponheim announced on the election night that he would resign as party leader when the Liberal Party convenes in the spring 2010. On 19 March 2010, it was announced that Sponheim would become the new County Governor of Hordaland, replacing the retiring Svein Alsaker. As county governor, Sponheim came into a dispute with the Bergen city government when he agreed with the opposition that the 2011 budget for Bergen illegally considered extraordinary dividend from BKK as regular income, and not as income which must be used for investments. On 2 March 2022, he announced that he would be retiring in early June and step down as county governor of Vestland. His successor, Liv Signe Navarsete, was nominated on 3 June and assumed office on 1 September. References 1957 births Living people People from Halden Norwegian farmers Liberal Party (Norway) politicians Ministers of Agriculture and Food of Norway Norwegian University of Life Sciences alumni Members of the Storting Mayors of places in Hordaland People from Ulvik County governors of Norway 21st-century Norwegian politicians 20th-century Norwegian politicians Ministers of Trade and Shipping of Norway