On 22 January 2013 the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced she would invite Peris to join the Australian Labor Party and stand as a candidate for the Senate in the Northern Territory at the 2013 election.[6] On 29 January 2013 her preselection was endorsed by the ALP executive 19 votes to 2, meaning her name was places first on the ALP's Senate ticket in the Northern Territory, supporting the likelihood that she would become Australia's first female Aboriginal federal parliamentarian.

On 7 September 2013 Peris became Australia's first Aboriginal woman elected to federal parliament.[8] Peris was sworn into parliament on 12 November, and noted the apology to the stolen generation in her maiden speech.