Dropout deadline passes, and Akin's still in - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Dropout deadline passes, and Akin's still in

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    Rep. Todd Akin, Missouri's GOP Senate candidate, has questioned whether women can become pregnant when they're raped.
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CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) -

Republican congressman Todd Akin has made good on his promise to stay in the Missouri Senate race against Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill.

Tuesday's final deadline for Missouri candidates to remove their names from the ballot came and went at 5 p.m. as Akin continued a bus tour across the state. Akin will make a stop at the GOP headquarters in Sikeston Tuesday night. Prior to that, he'll be at the Osage center in Cape Girardeau.

It's a final confirmation that he's resisting calls from within his own party to drop his bid.

Many Republicans - including presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan - distanced themselves from Akin after his comments in August about what he called "legitimate rape."

But on Monday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich appeared with Akin at a fundraiser. Gingrich predicted Republicans would return to Akin's side in the coming weeks.

Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill is wasting little time highlighting congressman Todd Akin's remark about rape, now that Akin is firming up his spot in Missouri's Senate race.

McCaskill's website debuted an ad Tuesday citing comments Akin made about Social Security, Medicare, the minimum wage and student loans. It culminates by referencing his August remark that women's bodies have ways of avoiding pregnancy in what he termed as "legitimate rape."

Akin has repeatedly apologized for that remark and rejected calls by top Republicans to quit the race.

Copyright 2012 KFVS. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this story.