Dan Andrews resigns leaving premier job open to Jacinta Allan

"I will be putting myself forward to lead our party & continue the extraordinary work of our Labor government," she said in a post to X (formerly Twitter).

Ms Allan said she would not make any more public comments before a leadership spill tomorrow (Wednesday, September 26) "out of respect for my colleagues & the party process".

Ms Allan thanked Mr Andrews for his leadership and friendship, saying he was leaving "an unparalleled legacy that has changed our state forever & for the better".

EARLER: Bendigo's Jacinta Allan could be set to lead Victoria after premier Daniel Andrews announced his resignation from 5pm on Wednesday.

Mr Andrews has refused to be drawn on who his successor would be, saying it should be left to the party.

The Addy has contacted Ms Allan, who is the deputy premier, for comment.

Photos: Take a look at Jacinta Allan throughout her years in politics

She is widely seen as a natural successor after helping Mr Andrews lead the state since a leadership reshuffle in 2022.

Ms Allan has been the member for Bendigo East since 1999.

The Labor party will decide the state's leadership in a party-room vote at noon on Wednesday, September 26.

The Addy asked her about her status as presumptive heir to the premiership before the 2022 election.

At the time, Mr Andrews intended to serve out his entire four-year term as the state's leader.

"I see myself as part of a Labor team, a great labor team of really talented, hardworking people under a fabulous Premier," she said at the time.

"My focus is always on Bendigo East. It's always on the community that I was born in, grew up in, and now raise my own family with my husband in.

"So that's very much my strong focus always and then the opportunity to have those additional portfolios and responsibilities as deputy premier is really something that adds to that."

Mr Andrews said his resignation had not been an easy decision.

"Can I say to you that the moment you are not comfortable with that choice doing this job as a defining feature - your entire life pretty much - the moment you are not comfortable with that decision for you and the people that you love, that you have to step away," he said.

Ms Allan was among the MPs who watched as Mr Andrews announced his resignation along with other members of the cabinet.

They broke out in applause as the premier finished remarks and began taking questions from the media.

The outgoing premier thanked her and the other two deputies who have served him since his government's first election in 2014, Rob Hulls and James Merlino.

Mr Andrews made "special mention" of his treasurer Tim Pallas.

"The relationship between a premier and a treasurer is unique. I want to pay special tribute and make special mention of an outstanding person, great politician and an outstanding treasurer in Tim Pallas," he said.

It is not clear whether a premier Jacinta Allan would appoint a member of Labor's right faction as her deputy.

Ms Allan's ascension to deputy broke with longstanding Labor convention in that she is a member of Mr Andrew's Left faction.

The state party tends to appoint people of different factions to its leader and deputy positions.

Mr Pallas is linked to the right faction, which has been weakened in recent years. It is not clear whether he or other people to the right of the party would seek the leadership.

Mr Andrews would not be drawn on questions about the future leadership of the party.

"I'm not, frankly, here to speculate on who that might be or to give you my form guide, or anything like that," he said.

More to come.

More on Jacinta Allan

- With Jonathan Macgrath, Alex Gretgrix, Gabriel Rule and Lucy Williams.

Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with the Bendigo Advertiser app. Click here to download.