Rob Lantz, a longtime Progressive Conservative politician and the province’s current education minister, will be sworn in as Prince Edward Island’s 34th premier, the party says.
Lantz earned the unanimous support of his fellow Progressive Conservative MLAs to become the party’s interim leader after the resignation of Premier Dennis King on Thursday, according to news releases from both the PCs and from government House Leader Susie Dillon.
“The PC Caucus is united and steadfast in their endorsement of Hon. Rob Lantz to lead our party and our government in the days, weeks and months ahead,” Dillon is quoted as saying in the news release.
“This unanimous endorsement by caucus is a testament to Rob’s leadership, passion for good governance and unwavering commitment to serving this province. Islanders will be served well by Premier Lantz.”
King announced that he was resigning as the premier, PC leader and MLA for Brackley-Hunter River, effective 1 p.m. Friday.
Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King announced on Thursday he would be resigning from his position as of Friday. King said his responsibility to the public took a ‘tremendous toll’ on him and his family, and he experienced many mental health challenges during his time as premier.
His departure means that all three parties with seats in the P.E.I. Legislature now find themselves headed by interim leaders.
The Official Opposition Liberals, helmed by Hal Perry, have a leadership convention scheduled for May 2026. The Greens, led for now by Karla Bernard, recently moved up their leadership vote to June 7 of this year.
Under P.E.I.’s fixed election date system, the next provincial general election is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 4, 2027.
Lantz led PCs in 2015
Lantz is a former leader of the provincial PCs. He won the leadership at a convention in February 2015, but he did not win his own seat in a general election that May that resulted in a Liberal majority government under Wade MacLaughlan.
Before his first stint in provincial politics, Lantz represented his ward on Charlottetown city council for two terms between 2006 and 2014.
In the April 2023 general election, he once again became the MLA for District 13, Charlottetown-Brighton, where he grew up and where he still lives with his wife, Kelly.
He’s since served in King’s cabinet, first as housing minister before being appointed to his current role as education minister in October 2024.
Notably, during his time as housing minister, Lantz was shoved by a Charlottetown resident at a public meeting held to discuss adding a supervised injection site to the Park Street Emergency Shelter. The incident led to an assault charge being laid against a 62-year-old Charlottetown man.
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