John Kasich says he got elected in part by “women who left their kitchens” to campaign for him back when he was running for the Ohio state senate in 1978.

The Ohio governor and former congressman told about 1,000 people at a town hall in Fairfax, Virginia, that he started campaigning with very little support.

“How did I get elected? I didn’t have anybody for me. We just got an army of people and many women who left their kitchens to go out and go door to door and to put yard signs up for me.”

Kasich went on to say that times are different today. “Now you call homes and everybody’s out working. But at that time, early days, it was an army of the women that really helped me get elected to the state senate.”

Later during the town hall, a woman in the audience stood up and said:

“First off, I want to say: Your comment earlier about the women came out of the kitchen to support you? I’ll come to support you but I won’t be coming out of the kitchen.”

Kasich replied: “I gotcha.”