On 17 August 2021 Rubenstein announced her intention to run as an independent senate candidate for the Australian Capital Territory in the 2022 Australian federal election and established the Kim for Canberra party.

In January 2022 the Australian Electoral Commission approved Rubenstein's application to form the political party called Kim for Canberra.

Professor Rubenstein ran on a platform of Climate Action, Integrity, Gender Equality, Territory Rights & Uluru Statement from the Heart, with a view to changing the way politics is conducted in Australia.

With thousands of members and supporters, the Kim For Canberra campaign gained much public attention, getting major media coverage as part of a historic attempt to break the major party duopoly in the ACT.

While unsuccessful, the Kim For Canberra party received 12,622 primary votes and a further 30,349 second preference votes.