Changes

In 1984, Akin earned a divinity degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, but entered politics rather than the ministry.<ref name=legacy>{{cite news|title=Small legacy, loyal allies|author=Stephanie McCrummen and David A Fahrenthold|work=Washington Post|date=August 23, 2012|page=A1}}</ref>  He was elected to the Missouri legislature in 1988.<ref name=legacy/>

In 1984, Akin earned a divinity degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, but entered politics rather than the ministry.<ref name=legacy>{{cite news|title=Small legacy, loyal allies|author=Stephanie McCrummen and David A Fahrenthold|work=Washington Post|date=August 23, 2012|page=A1}}</ref>  He was elected to the Missouri legislature in 1988.<ref name=legacy/>

==2012 Senate Campaign==

==2012 Senate campaign==

Akin won the August 7, 2012 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat in a three-way field.<ref name=wsj2>{{cite news|title=Todd Akin's Sinking Ship|work=Wall Street Journal|page=A12|date=August 21, 2012}}</ref> Akin was endorsed by fellow Representatives [[Michele Bachmann]] and [[Steve King]],<ref>https://www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/24282/akin_tea_party_endorsement_041212</ref> the [[Club for Growth]] and the [[U.S. Chamber of Commerce]] backed John Brunner in the primary, while [[Sarah Palin]] supported former state official Sarah Steelman.<ref>{{cite news|title=Akin case tests power of GOP's heirarchy|author=Paul Kane and Ed O'Keefe|work=Washington Post|page=A4|date=August 22, 2012}}</ref>  In an April primary debate, Akin said that federally guaranteed student loans were a "Stage 3 cancer of socialism."<ref name=wp910>{{cite news|title=With Senate at stake, GOP awaits Akin's next move|author=Rosalind S. Helderman and Jason Horowitz|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-senate-at-stake-gop-waits-on-akins-next-move-mccaskill-goes-on-offense/2012/09/09/584d77bc-f8ef-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_story.html|work=Washington Post|page=A1|date=September 10, 2012}}</ref>

Akin won the August 7, 2012 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat in a three-way field.<ref name=wsj2>{{cite news|title=Todd Akin's Sinking Ship|work=Wall Street Journal|page=A12|date=August 21, 2012}}</ref> Akin was endorsed by fellow Representatives [[Michele Bachmann]] and [[Steve King]],<ref>https://www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/24282/akin_tea_party_endorsement_041212</ref> the [[Club for Growth]] and the [[U.S. Chamber of Commerce]] backed John Brunner in the primary, while [[Sarah Palin]] supported former state official Sarah Steelman.<ref>{{cite news|title=Akin case tests power of GOP's heirarchy|author=Paul Kane and Ed O'Keefe|work=Washington Post|page=A4|date=August 22, 2012}}</ref>  In an April primary debate, Akin said that federally guaranteed student loans were a "Stage 3 cancer of socialism."<ref name=wp910>{{cite news|title=With Senate at stake, GOP awaits Akin's next move|author=Rosalind S. Helderman and Jason Horowitz|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-senate-at-stake-gop-waits-on-akins-next-move-mccaskill-goes-on-offense/2012/09/09/584d77bc-f8ef-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_story.html|work=Washington Post|page=A1|date=September 10, 2012}}</ref>

McCaskill, for a time, did not comment directly on Akin's abortion remarks in her campaign, but instead focused upon Akin's remarks comparing student loans to Stage 3 cancer.<ref name=wp910/>  [[RINO Backers]] demanded that Todd Akin remove his name from the ballot by September 25, 2012, while the principled Akin repeatedly made it clear that he was campaigning to win, and was projected to do better on [[Election Day]] than many of the RINOs would.<ref name=wp910/>

McCaskill, for a time, did not comment directly on Akin's abortion remarks in her campaign, but instead focused upon Akin's remarks comparing student loans to Stage 3 cancer.<ref name=wp910/>  [[RINO Backers]] demanded that Todd Akin remove his name from the ballot by September 25, 2012, while the principled Akin repeatedly made it clear that he was campaigning to win, and was projected to do better on [[Election Day]] than many of the RINOs would.<ref name=wp910/>

By September 23, as the polls nationwide showed the Senate races tightening and Akin showed no sign of giving up the fight, Newt Gingrich urged the party to let him back into the fold and at least one campaign finance group started to reconsider the wisdom of leaving Akin to fight alone.<ref>http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/09/24/2703769/conservative-fund-considers-backing.html</ref> On Wednesday 26th, Rick Santorum and Jim DeMint publicly endorsed Akin for Senate, in a joint statement saying "we cannot afford six more years of Senator McCaskill." <ref>https://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/09/santorum-demint-back-akin-136707.html</ref> On Friday 28 September, Akin confirmed that he had been arrested at an anti-abortion protest at a clinic some 25 years ago.<ref>https://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/09/akin-speaks-about-old-arrest-at-abortion-clinic-136954.html</ref> By then, former Missouri governor [[Kit Bond]] had endorsed Akin for Senate, and RNC chairman [[Reince Priebus]] had backed off on his earlier vows not to provide a penny to Akin.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57522102/kit-bond-to-endorse-akin-priebus-hints-at-rnc-support/</ref>

By September 23, as the polls nationwide showed the Senate races tightening and Akin showed no sign of giving up the fight, Newt Gingrich urged the party to let him back into the fold and at least one campaign finance group started to reconsider the wisdom of leaving Akin to fight alone.<ref>http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/09/24/2703769/conservative-fund-considers-backing.html</ref> On Wednesday 26th, [[Rick Santorum]] and [[Jim DeMint]] publicly endorsed Akin for Senate, in a joint statement saying "we cannot afford six more years of Senator McCaskill."<ref>https://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/09/santorum-demint-back-akin-136707.html</ref> On Friday 28 September, Akin confirmed that he had been arrested at an anti-abortion protest at a clinic some 25 years ago.<ref>https://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/09/akin-speaks-about-old-arrest-at-abortion-clinic-136954.html</ref> By then, former Missouri governor [[Kit Bond]] had endorsed Akin for Senate, and RNC chairman [[Reince Priebus]] had backed off on his earlier vows not to provide a penny to Akin.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57522102/kit-bond-to-endorse-akin-priebus-hints-at-rnc-support/</ref>

Even while ostracized by the party, Akin drew over $600,000 in small donations.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/26/us/politics/todd-akin-counts-on-support-of-home-schoolers.html?ref=politics</ref>

Even while ostracized by the party leadership, Akin drew over $600,000 in small donations.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/26/us/politics/todd-akin-counts-on-support-of-home-schoolers.html?ref=politics</ref>

The Republican Party was not united in this reconciliation, however. On September 30, Governor [[Chris Christie]] of [[New Jersey]] told ABC's ''This Week'' emphatically that he opposed the endorsement of Akin. A recent Rasmussen poll had shown Senator McCaskill leading Akin by 49 to 43 points among likely voters.<ref>http://www.humanevents.com/2012/10/01/christie-says-gop-should-not-support-missouris-akin/</ref>  Closer to election day, McCaskill ran radio and television spots featuring clips from [[RINO Backers]] criticizing Akin.<ref>http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/nick-pistor/claire-mccaskill-features-mitt-romney-in-new-ad/article_5c4a5e19-82b8-5d3d-b9b3-6d740bcc3e57.html</ref>

The Republican Party was not united in this reconciliation, however. On September 30, Governor [[Chris Christie]] of [[New Jersey]] told ABC's ''This Week'' emphatically that he opposed the endorsement of Akin. A Rasmussen poll showed McCaskill leading Akin by 49 to 43 points among likely voters.<ref>http://www.humanevents.com/2012/10/01/christie-says-gop-should-not-support-missouris-akin/</ref>  Closer to election day, McCaskill ran radio and television spots featuring clips from [[RINO Backers]] criticizing Akin.<ref>http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/nick-pistor/claire-mccaskill-features-mitt-romney-in-new-ad/article_5c4a5e19-82b8-5d3d-b9b3-6d740bcc3e57.html</ref>

Federal Election Committee documents released after the election showed that the National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) quietly attempted to salvage Akin's campaign as election day approached, making two donations totaling $760,000 to the Missouri Republicans at the beginning of November, 2012. The Missouri Party spent nearly that much money on large ad buys in the name of "W. Todd Akin" at the same time. Akin's adviser Rick Tyler has commented that by then the damage was done by NRSC's and Karl Rove's earlier actions. "They came in because they finally accepted what I had been saying publicly for weeks and that is that it was not possible to win a majority in the Senate without winning Missouri. But by the time they spent the money we were already going to lose Senate seats not gain them.  It was too late." <ref name="hill.com_20121207">Alexandra Jaffe, _The Hill_, December 7, 2012, [https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/271617-nrsc-funneled-760k-to-missouri-gop-in-final-days-of-election NRSC funneled $760K to Missouri GOP in final days of election]</ref>

Federal Election Committee documents released after the election showed that the National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) quietly attempted to salvage Akin's campaign as election day approached, making two donations totaling $760,000 to the Missouri Republicans at the beginning of November, 2012. The Missouri Party spent nearly that much money on large ad buys in the name of "W. Todd Akin" at the same time. Akin's adviser Rick Tyler has commented that by then the damage was done by NRSC's and Karl Rove's earlier actions. "They came in because they finally accepted what I had been saying publicly for weeks and that is that it was not possible to win a majority in the Senate without winning Missouri. But by the time they spent the money we were already going to lose Senate seats not gain them.  It was too late." <ref name="hill.com_20121207">Alexandra Jaffe, _The Hill_, December 7, 2012, [https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/271617-nrsc-funneled-760k-to-missouri-gop-in-final-days-of-election NRSC funneled $760K to Missouri GOP in final days of election]</ref>

Ultimately, Todd Akin lost the election to Claire McCaskill 39.2% to 54.7%.<ref>https://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/Senate/2012/</ref>

Ultimately, Todd Akin lost the election to Claire McCaskill 39.2% to 54.7%.<ref>https://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/Senate/2012/</ref>