Andrew Furey has stepped down as premier of Newfoundland and Labrador after four and a half years in office with his announcement on Tuesday afternoon.
"It has been a wild and unexpected journey, right from the start to bring us here to today," said Furey.
"To the finish. It is with a heart full of pride and hard-earned confidence in the future of Newfoundland and Labrador, that I must now move on."
Furey, a surgeon with deep Liberal ties, became premier in August 2020, taking over from Dwight Ball, who resigned earlier that year.
At the time, Furey pledged not to become a career politician.
On Tuesday, Furey reminded reporters of his list of goals, which he believed reflected the hopes of many.
"I had a list of what I wanted to accomplish, of goals that as a proud Newfoundlander and Labradorian I know that I shared with all of you,” said Furey.
His time as premier began during the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily briefings to residents.
In 2021, he led the Liberals to victory in a delayed election.
When votes were finally tallied, his party emerged with a majority, taking 22 of 40 seats.
Furey said one of his proudest achievements was negotiating a new hydroelectric agreement with Quebec to replace the contentious 1969 Churchill Falls contract 16 years early.
He called it “history made and past wrongs rewritten.”
Despite that win, Furey faced adversity from the Muskrat Falls project and a looming trade dispute with the United States.
After a recent trip south, he warned that President Donald Trump’s talk of making Canada a fifty-first state is serious.
"I do believe that this president in particular has an imperialistic agenda, one of expansion," said Furey.
"And we need to take that as Canadians very seriously."
Reflecting on his political journey, Furey thanked his team and the public for their trust.
“I served my fellow Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with all I had,” said Furey.
He gave no details on his next steps.