Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King, right, talks with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe at a first ministers meeting in Ottawa on Jan. 15.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
PEI Education Minister Rob Lantz is set to become the province’s next premier after the resignation of Dennis King, who has announced he is stepping down from that role and the leadership of the PEI Progressive Conservatives effective Friday at noon.
Mr. Lantz, a startup adviser and investor, was first elected as an MLA for Charlottetown-Brighton in 2023. A father of two, he previously led the PCs during the 2015 election and has also served as a Charlottetown city councillor.
PEI PC Party president Sydney Gallant wrote in a statement Thursday that the party executive has endorsed a recommendation by the PC caucus to make Mr. Lantz their interim leader and PEI’s 34th premier.
Mr. King, 53, told reporters at an upbeat and at times emotional news conference Thursday that his decision is difficult and may be shocking to some, but it’s in the best interest of his family, the government and the people of PEI. He added that he is in good health.
“I do feel that I have repeatedly said, time and again, that I wouldn’t be a lifer in this job, and that once I made up my mind I would move on,” he said.
Mr. King said that over Christmas he and his family decided he would not reoffer in the next election and that he struggled with the decision of when to step down.
He said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of punishing trade tariffs, while musing about challenging Canada’s sovereignty, are causing economic uncertainty and require the attention of a leader “every minute of every day for the next four years.”
“That really helped me determine that it was best for me to hand the baton of leadership to someone who can be focused for the long term,” he said.
The PEI legislature is set to resume next week. Mr. King has been premier since May, 2019, and he and his party were re-elected for a second mandate in 2023.
He praised his caucus for their dedication, and thanked his wife, Jana Hemphill, and three children for supporting him in a job that he described as very challenging for families.
“To my wife, Jana, nobody has given more to this than you,” he said, his voice straining at times with emotion. “You are quite simply the best person I’ve ever known, and I promise I will spend the rest of my life trying to make up for all that you’ve given up and all the time I’ve taken from you and us, and I love you very, very much.”
Mr. King spoke of his accomplishments as the 33rd premier of Canada’s smallest province, among which he listed creating the island’s first medical school, hiring more health care professionals, reforming income taxes, and taking a more collaborative approach to politics.
First elected with a minority government, Mr. King had vowed during his leadership campaign to cut the mud-slinging out of politics. Soon after he was elected, he made headlines for his softer, more collegial approach, notably sharing a hug with then-Opposition leader Peter Bevan-Baker.
Opposition Leader Hal Perry released a statement wishing the Premier well, but said the unexpected change in leadership comes at a critical moment of anxiety and fear because of the looming threat of tariffs and their potential economic impact.
“At a time when islanders are rightly concerned about the future, it appears we are entering a period of political uncertainty – one where government may be more focused on internal leadership struggles than on delivering the strong, decisive response that islanders need and deserve,” he wrote in a statement posted on social media.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt thanked Mr. King for his “exemplary service,” saying in a statement on social media that she “will be forever grateful for his warm welcome, sage advice, insight, and the laughs we shared at the Council of the Federation table and on Council of Atlantic Premier calls.”
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston also commended Mr. King, calling him an “outstanding partner in Atlantic Canada, and to me, a good friend.”