Rob Lantz Steps Down as PEI Premier to Run for Permanent PC Leadership

Rob Lantz reacts after being sworn in as Prince Edward Island's 34th premier during a ceremony at Government House in Charlottetown on Feb. 21, 2025. The Canadian Press/Darren Calabrese

PEI Premier Rob Lantz announced that he is stepping down from his position leading the province in order to enter the race for permanent leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Lantz’s Dec. 11 announcement came the day after the the provincial PC Party said that its upcoming leadership convention will be held on Feb. 7 of next year. PC’s constitution requires an interim leader to resign within 10 days of a leadership convention being called to be eligible to run as a candidate for permanent party leader.

“This wasn’t a decision I made lightly. But after listening to Islanders, it became clear that this choice had to be made - to ensure stability and strong leadership behind a united team that knows what needs to be done to secure the future,” Lantz said in a statement on social media on Dec. 11.

“I’m ready to continue serving Islanders, guided by their voices and focused on what matters most: a strong, secure, and prosperous future for our province.”

Lantz has served as both interim leader of P.E.I.’s PC Party and premier of the province since February of this year, following the resignation of former Premier Dennis King.

Prior to becoming premier, Lantz served as education minister in King’s PC government, and was briefly leader of the province’s PC party in 2015 but quit after losing in his riding that year.

Lantz was first elected to P.E.I.’s legislature in 2023.

Deputy Premier Bloyce Thompson has been selected by caucus and party executive as interim leader, and will be sworn in as prime minister.

In his bid to lead the province’s PC Party, Lantz is up against attorney Mark Ledwell, who entered as a candidate this past May. The deadline to enter the race for permanent leader of the party is Dec. 24, with three public town hall meetings to be held in each county of P.E.I. starting early next year.

Lantz has switched his public statements on whether or not he intended to run for permanent leadership of P.E.I.’s PC Party several times, saying in February that he didn’t plan to run for party leader.

He then said in May that he would leave the option open after members of the public had been asking him to run for party leader.

However, this past June Lantz changed course once again, saying he had decided not to run for party leader.

Lantz said his decision to run for permanent leadership of the party was prompted by the results of a Dec. 8 byelection in P.E.I.’s Georgetown-Pownal district in which PC candidate Brendan Curran triumphed over Liberal Leader Robert Mitchell.

“I made the decision 100 percent on Monday after the byelection,” Lantz said. “I think Islanders still have confidence in this government and I want to have a role in that.”

P.E.I.’s PC Party won reelection in 2023 and currently has a majority government with 20 out of the 27 seats in the provincial legislature.