In the course of speculations about a candidature for the Swiss Federal Council, she announced her candidacy for the replacement of Doris Leuthard on 5 October 2018. On 16 November Amherd and Heidi Z'graggen were nominated as Federal Council candidates by the CVP. On 5 December 2018 she was elected to the Federal Council with 148 voting in the first ballot alongside Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP).[3]