A Democrat, in 2014 she unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives for Iowa's 3rd congressional district.

[2][3][4] Appel worked for 12 years as a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch and UBS Paine Webber.

[citation needed] Appel lost her bid for reelection to state Representative Kent Sorenson in 2010,[9] 58% to 40%.

Appel endorsed Senator Tom Harkin's proposal to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.

[16] Appel was endorsed by EMILY's List,[17] a political action committee that supports pro-choice female Democrats, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

[19] In May 2014, a Republican spokesperson accused Appel of plagiarizing text from another candidate's website, something her campaign manager said he takes responsibility for.