Although women's presence in politics has grown, they remain underrepresented. This study analyses how exposure to successful women politicians influences the future representation of women candidates in local politics. It also explores whether these effects vary according to candidates’ affiliation, distinguishing between those running as members of political parties and those running independently. Using a quasi-experimental design and data from two types of local elections—mayoral and council races in Poland—the study finds that exposure to a woman politician has different implications for women, depending on whether they run on party tickets or independently. These findings add to existing research on women's local political participation and suggest that independent candidacy deserves closer attention in discussions of gender and political representation in local and regional governance.
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