New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to resign

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday she is stepping down as New Zealand's leader and will not contest this year's general elections.

Fighting back tears, Ardern told reporters in Napier that Feb. 7 will be her last day in office.

"I am entering now my sixth year in office, and for each of those years, I have given my absolute all," she said.

Ardern has called New Zealand's next general elections for Oct. 14. She said Thursday in Napier she will remain a lawmaker until then.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces her resignation at the War Memorial Centre on Jan. 19, 2023, in Napier, New Zealand. Getty Images

She said she had given her "absolute all" during nearly six years in office but didn't have the reserve to serve another term.

Ardern had faced a tough election campaign this year. Her liberal Labour Party won reelection two years ago in a landslide of historic proportions, but recent polls have put her party behind its conservative rivals.