Vincent Tarzia has quit as South Australia's Liberal leader, little more than a year after replacing disgraced MP David Speirs.
Mr Tarzia was elected leader in August 2024 and has faced weeks of speculation that the party was pushing for health spokesperson Ashton Hurn to take over ahead of the March state election.
Polls suggest the Liberals face an electoral drubbing with Labor's Peter Malinauskas among the nation's most popular leaders.
Mr Tarzia is the third state Liberal to lose the leadership in as many weeks.
Brad Battin was replaced as Victoria's opposition leader by Jess Wilson in mid-November, while Kellie Sloane took over from Mark Speakman in NSW days later.
Mr Tarzia on Friday said no colleague had pushed him but “there's a reason why they say it is the worst job in politics".
“It's been a very challenging and demanding role,” he said, noting he had children aged four years and five months.
In June, a YouGov poll showed Mr Malinauskas leading Mr Tarzia as preferred premier by a 58-point margin, 72 per cent to 14 per cent.
YouGov’s director of public data Paul Smith said at the time that Labor was heading for its biggest win in South Australian electoral history.
“A uniform swing of 12.4 per cent would see 11 of the 13 Liberal MPs lose their seats, including Vincent Tarzia, leaving the Liberals with only two MPs in parliament," he said.
Mr Speirs stepped down as Liberal leader in August 2024, saying he was tired of speculation over his leadership.
He was later charged with supplying drugs and pleaded guilty to the charges in March.
Mr Tarzia said he had only decided on Friday morning to step down and was “not bitter at all”.
“Whilst it has been a sad moment to move on from this role, I'm very calm and I want to make sure that I help and support the next leader of the Liberal Party going forward," he said.
“I look forward to continuing to represent the electorate of Hartley and I wish my party colleagues and supporters all the best.”
He said it wasn't clear whether colleagues had tried to destabilise his leadership.
"What I would say to anyone in that situation - ultimately, you reap what you sow," he said.
