Voter behavior is assessed toward female candidates for state legislatures in six states during 1970 to 1980. The sample consisted of 4,910 female and male candidates in state legislative elections to the lower house in Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. The relationship of party, incumbency, and urban or rural residency to female success was measured. Results indicated that women candidates increased over the decade, but still represent only 14.8 percent of the total. Generally, women do as well as men in primary elections but not as well in general elections, although by 1980 the differences were no longer significant when corrected for incumbency and party. Also, Republican women fared better than Democratic or nonpartisan women in comparison to the male colleagues. The conclusion is that since women fare about as well as men at the polls, the lack of female legislators can be attributed mostly to the paucity of candidates. The findings do not support the argument that political party elites work against females once they have become candidates. (KC)