Politics

Todd Akin refuses to drop Senate bid amid ‘legitimate rape’ outrage [AUDIO]

Alexis Levinson Political Reporter
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Defying pressure from national Republicans, Missouri Republican Rep. Todd Akin said Monday that he would remain the GOP candidate in Missouri’s Senate race.

Akin also said he still believes he can defeat Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.

“I’m announcing today that we’re going to stay in. I will continue to apologize,” Akin said on Sean Hannity’s radio show.

Akin would have to withdraw by Tuesday afternoon at 5 p.m., according to Missouri election law. The congressman said he was aware of that fact, and that the timeframe did not concern him.

Over the weekend Akin attracted condemnation for saying that abortion was rarely necessary in cases of rape because “if it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” He told Hannity that the comment was a “mistake.”

But, he maintained, he was still the candidate “in the strongest position” to oust McCaskill.

Akin’s statements aside, an unnamed Republican source told Buzzfeed on Monday that Akin “is taking concrete steps to withdraw by tomorrow.” (ROMNEY: Akin’s comment ‘insulting, inexcusable’)

Earlier on Monday Akin tweeted a fundraising request, even as calls from prominent Republicans for him to drop out intensified. “I am in this race to win. We need a conservative Senate. Help me defeat Claire by donating,” he tweeted.

Jeff Poor contributed to this report.

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