A member of La France Insoumise, Piquemal ran as a candidate of the left-wing New Ecologic and Social People's Union (NUPES) coalition in 2022.

[3] In the second round of the contest, Piquemal faced real estate company owner Marie-Claire Constans of the Ensemble Citoyens party.

[6] As a candidate, issues central to Piquemal's program were ending homelessness, boosting consumer spending power through price freezes, and environmentalist policies.

[5] Amid the historic heat wave in France in June 2022, Piquemal criticized Macron's leadership and stressed that there is an "urgent need to act" on climate.

[8] A number of other MPs had also declined, but Piquemal chose to play Rock paper scissors with Termet in place of shaking his hand.