Finance Minister Katy Gallagher is steeling herself for an unpredictable Senate race after being preselected unopposed for the top spot of the Labor ticket at the next federal election, due by May.
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Senator Gallagher, who suffered a six per cent swing away from Labor at the 2022 poll, said she hoped to "win the support of the ACT community to continue in my role".
"I will never take my position for granted, I never have, and I will continue to work hard," she said.
"I love Canberra. It's my home and I'm so privileged to get to represent it ... as a senior Minister".
In the lower house, ACT Labor has endorsed all three sitting members unopposed: Fenner MP Andrew Leigh, Canberra MP Alicia Payne and Bean MP David Smith.
While the ACT Senate race is one that is widely seen as guaranteed to elect a Labor senator, the disruption caused by Independent Canberra Senator David Pocock is stirring fears.
Party sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were concerns that voters who might usually vote Labor would give their votes to Senator Pocock, to ensure he continued and under the assumption that Senator Gallagher was a sure thing.
But, without an unpopular incumbent Liberal senator - as voters had in Zed Seselja in 2022 - the 7.5 per cent of Liberal voters who abandoned the party at the last election could switch back.
![Katy Gallagher (main); Andrew Leigh, David Smith and Alicia Payne (inset). Katy Gallagher (main); Andrew Leigh, David Smith and Alicia Payne (inset).](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/234480217/909a0a96-d236-4c07-8bdc-8943fd9b3442.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Depending on the size of such a swing, it could leave Senator Gallagher unable to reach the quota required to elect her to the Senate - particularly if Senator Pocock is heavily preferenced.
The Canberra Liberals have endorsed Jacob Vadakkedathu as their number one Senate candidate.
In 2022, Senator Gallagher received 94,630 votes in the first count, which was 443 votes short of the quota and about 10,000 fewer votes than at the 2019 poll. She was elected with preferences on the second count.
During the 2022 campaign, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard took the unusual step of endorsing Senator Gallagher to boost her chances in the face of the Pocock threat.
Senator Pocock is yet to announce a running mate for the next election.
Israel Machuca, Janaline Oh and Kammy Singh have nominated to run as Labor candidates for the second Senate vacancy.
The ACT Greens have preselected Christina Hobbs as first on the party's Senate ticket, with Jordan Rocke as her running mate.
The Greens had pinned their hopes on two additional Senate seats for the territory, but it is understood that the federal government's plan to create them has been shelved.