Candidates who win elections and those who mount credible campaigns invariably engage with the political context in which they are running. They must understand and master both the formal and informal rules of the game. Providing forms of support that empower women candidates politically is a challenging proposition for development partners. Before considering how best to support women candidates, development partners must first understand and acknowledge the local political context(s) to which women candidates must necessarily respond and then what might this mean for development partners seeking to support them.