by Stephanie Condon, CBS News

As Democrats head into what is expected to be a tough election year for them, the party says it has a solid lead over Republicans in one respect — its number of women candidates.

Seeking to ding the GOP on the issue, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is pointing to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)’s “Young Guns” program, which provides support for Republicans challenging Democratic incumbents or running for open seats. There are more than 100 candidates in the program, and eight of them are women.

The DCCC’s comparable “Red to Blue” program includes 13 candidates, three of which are women. DCCC spokesperson Ryan Rudominer also highlighted the fact that Democrats have already elected a number of women into office. There are currently 78 female representatives in the House, and 61 are Democrats, according to the Office of History and Preservation for the House.

“We’ve elected so many strong female members that were in traditionally Republican districts,” Rudominer said. “They’re going to face tough re-elections — but there’s 102 candidates in the NRCC Young Guns program, and eight of those are women. I think that it speaks volumes about Republicans’ priorities…….

Still, the disproportionate number of male versus female candidates remains evident in both parties.

“There is much room for improvement in both parties for recruiting women candidates,” said Kathy Groob, a Kentucky businesswoman who publishes ElectWomen Magazine, and a former Democratic candidate for the state Senate. While the Democratic Party embraces female candidates, she said, it has relied on outside organizations dedicated to electing women, like Emily’s List, to provide the training and much of the support.

“Often out in the states you will find entrenched political party groups who continue to favor ‘establishment’ candidates and there are not many women in that category,” Groob added.

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