Dennis King announced on Thursday afternoon that he was resigning as P.E.I.'s premier and stepping away from politics after spending nearly six years in office. The province's education minister, Rob Lantz, has been chosen to serve as interim premier. 

King, 53, said serving as the Island's premier was "a privilege and an honour of a lifetime," but acknowledged that the public nature of holding the job in P.E.I. is a challenge.

King's Progressive Conservative government weathered both challenges …