Rob Lantz has won the PC leadership race, ensuring his return to the office of the premier of P.E.I..
Lantz won the hotly contested leadership race at a party convention at Charlottetown’s Eastlink Centre on Saturday, capturing 2,889 votes to Mark Ledwell’s 2,542. This gave Lantz a 53 per cent share of the 5,437 votes cast.
More energized party
In a speech, Lantz cast the contested vote as a sign of strength for his governing Progressive Conservatives.
“What came out of this race is momentum. This party is stronger today than it was before. It’s more engaged, more energized and better positioned to do the work that Islanders expect,” Lantz told hundreds of party members after the results were announced.
Lantz also credited Ledwell for bringing “new energy” into the P.E.I. PC party.
Lantz said his focus as premier will be to “keep our attention exactly where it belongs, on delivering results.”
Lantz served as premier and interim PC leader for nine months after the resignation of Dennis King in February 2025. He entered the race to become permanent leader of the party in December.
Ledwell, a former lawyer, ran a campaign heavily critical of Lantz’s leadership, drawing upon public frustrations around weaknesses of the energy grid, cost of living challenges and land controversies involving the Kings County Buddhist community.
By contrast, Lantz ran a campaign drawing upon his experience in the role of premier. He received the backing of most members of the Progressive Conservative cabinet.
Campaign promises
During the campaign, Lantz pledged to introduce legislative reforms governing Maritime Electric, reform the patient registry to prioritize seniors and high needs patients and put in place a new tax on unfarmed agricultural land.
Both Lantz and Ledwell pledged to reform or review the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission.
Announced results. So 5,437 votes cast. pic.twitter.com/2DMFV84LJ9
— Stuart Neatby (@stu_neatby) February 7, 2026
Spring election
Speaking to reporters after the results were announced, Lantz said he had not ruled out holding a provincial election this spring. But he appeared to downplay this.
“It’s an option, but that’s something I’ll think about. But I don’t think islanders want to go to the polls,” Lantz said.
He added that his party has a 20-member caucus and has a mandate to continue governing.
“It’s not necessary, but it is an option,” Lantz said of a spring election.
Lantz downplayed divisions within his party, saying that leadership races are often “oppositional” but not “divisional.”
“We’ve talked many times throughout the campaign about how we will all come back together to support each other and build a better party and a better government for Prince Edward Islanders,” Lantz said.
Policy priority
Lantz said his biggest policy priority was energy. He said he planned to continue to work to ensure the replacement of subsea electricity cables connecting P.E.I. to New Brunswick.
He also said he planned to introduce a “performance-based model” to electricity regulation in the province.
“We need to modernize our regulatory infrastructure here so that we can modernize our energy infrastructure, and that’s what I intend to do,” Lantz told reporters.
During the campaign, Lantz had pledged this reform would ensure Maritime Electric’s returns were based on ensuring the province had a reliable electricity grid. The utility has been warning Islanders for weeks to expect widespread blackouts due to capacity constraints in the grid.
In a statement, P.E.I. Liberal Leader Robert Mitchell congratulated Lantz.
“Regardless of political stripe, it’s important to recognize our shared goal of improving the lives of Islanders and strengthening communities across this province,” Mitchell said in a statement.
Swearing in
Lantz said he would talk with Bloyce Thompson, who has been serving as interim PC leader, about being sworn in on Monday.
As for Sunday, Lantz said he planned to watch the Super Bowl with his family.
“Politics is hard on families – and not just because it’s oppositional and they hear a lot of things about their about the Dad on Facebook that they don’t like to see – but because I don’t get to spend a lot of time with them … and I just want to spend time with my family tonight and tomorrow to watch The Super Bowl,” Lantz said.
Lantz said he favours the New England Patriots.
