McCaskill defeats Akin in Missouri

Sen. Claire McCaskill has won re-election in Missouri, holding off Rep. Todd Akin

The Associated Press noted that McCaskill's victory denies Republicans a seat they'd hoped to pick up before Akin's statements that women had ways of preventing pregnancies in the case of "legitimate rape."

Vernon Countians, however, narrowly favored Akin, who received 4,169 votes, or 49.20 percent; while McCaskill received 3,810 votes.