Missouri Senate race: First reactions to Democrat Claire McCaskill's victory

Sen. Claire McCaskill began the year as one of the nation&#039;s most vulnerable Democrats. Then Republicans nominated Todd Akin...

(Image credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

last updated 8 January 2015

Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill has fended off Republican challenger Todd Akin in Missouri, according to projections from CBS News and NBC News. The latest figures show McCaskill with 53.4 percent of the vote and Akin with 40.4 percent.

McCaskill, a strong supporter of President Obama, had a tough road to re-election in the increasingly conservative Show Me State. That was, at least, until Akin made national headlines and incited a media frenzy in August when he told a local TV station that abortion shouldn't be legal in rape cases because the female body has mysterious powers to prevent pregnancy when it's a case of "legitimate rape." Said Akin: "It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare," referring to pregnancies in instances of rape. "I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child." National Republicans abandoned Akin in droves after that comment.