Katy Gallagher was elected to the Legislative Assembly as a Labor Member for Molonglo in November 2001, and joined the Stanhope Ministry in December 2002. In the 2004 election, Katy was re-elected to the electorate of Molonglo and was elevated to Deputy Chief Minister in 2006.

Katy was appointed as the third ever female Chief Minister of the ACT on Monday 16 May 2011, after the resignation of long-serving Chief Minister Jon Stanhope.

Katy is the Treasurer, the Minister for Health, and the Minister for Industrial Relations.

Before her election, Katy worked as an organiser for the Community and Public Sector Union, representing the industrial interests of employees in the Commonwealth public sector. Prior to this, Katy worked for People First ACT, an organisation providing advocacy and support to individuals with an intellectual disability and was a project worker for Woden Community Service, in a community life skills project, working with children with disabilities

As Treasurer she has helped steer the ACT through the global financial crisis, delivering her third budget on 3 May 2011. This budget continues to provide record levels of infrastructure investment, with more than $885m allocated in 2011/12. Under Katy's economic leadership the ACT has one of the strongest economies in the country .

In her role as the Industrial Relations Minister she is working with the Commonwealth to develop a modern, harmonised OH&S system that protects workers while assisting small businesses to meet their requirements.

As Health Minister, Katy is rebuilding the health system to ensure that the ACT has the facilities and services to meet the needs of a growing and ageing city. The combined health rebuild represents the biggest ever infrastructure investment since self government.

Katy has also held previous roles in the ACT Government including Minister for Education, Minister for Children, Youth and Family Support, Minister for Community Services and Minister for Women. Katy oversaw the review and reinvigoration of child protection services for the ACT's children and young people.

Katy has strong connections to Canberra having been born here and growing up in the Weston Creek area, attending Duffy Primary School, Melrose High and Stirling College before undertaking a degree at the Australian National University. She currently lives in north Canberra with her partner and three children.