Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced he is standing down as Labour leader, triggering the contest to find his successor.
The 69-year-old politician, who has been Wales' leader since December 2018, said he hoped his replacement could be in place before Easter 2024.
At a news conference in Cardiff, he said: "In the meantime, I will remain as first minister in the full sense of that job."
Mr Drakeford said there would be time for political obituaries once he had left office and he would remain "fully focused" on the job until he steps down.
He had suffered a slump in poll ratings and has come under fire for policies including the widespread use of 20mph (32kmh) limits on Welsh roads.
A YouGov poll of 1,004 Welsh voters for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University earlier this month found his popularity is at an 18-month low, with 56% believing he is doing a bad job as leader.
Mr Drakeford was first elected to the Senedd in 2011 as the Member for Cardiff West.
He served in various ministerial roles from 2013 under the leadership of Carwyn Jones, before succeeding him as Welsh First Minister and Welsh Labour leader in 2018.
Keir Starmer said that Mr Drakeford was a "true titan" of Welsh and Labour politics.
