Hampel was an accountant and president of Hampel's Book Shop, Inc.[2][3] He began his political career in 1916 by running unsuccessfully for State Treasurer of Wisconsin as a Social Democrat, as they were called in Wisconsin, receiving only 31,329 votes to Republican Merlin Hull's 232,171.

[2] Hampel was soon elected as county clerk of Milwaukee County, serving from 1919 to 1920 [5] While serving as clerk, Hampel testified and wrote an affidavit in support of fellow Wisconsin socialist Victor Berger for the Congressman's House hearings regarding whether he should be seated.

[7] After ten years away from elected office, Hampel won election as a Socialist to the Wisconsin State Assembly representing Milwaukee County's third Assembly district in 1930, winning 2994 votes versus Republican Frank G. Pope's 2,058, and Democrat John H. Stemper's 545.

[8] Two years later he ran for the Wisconsin State Senate's Sixth District seat, but lost to Democrat Charles H. Phillips.

[13][14] He failed to keep his state senate seat when he ran without any party affiliation in 1944, losing to Democrat Edward W. Reuther.