Todd Akin, a prominent hardline Republican U.S. Representative from Missouri, has passed away.

Former United States Representative and a fundamentalist Missouri Republican, Todd Akin, whose remark suggesting women’s bodies had a knack of preventing pregnancy in situations of “legitimate rape” doomed his Senate race and served as a morality tale for a subsequent Republican politician, has perished. He was 74 years old.

Todd Akin battled cancer for many years, according to his kid Perry in a release. He passed away late Sunday in his house in Wildwood, Missouri, a neighborhood of St. Louis.

“As my dad’s death loomed, we had individuals from all walks of life share story after story of the personal impact he had on them,” Perry Akin stated in an Associated Press release.

“He was a committed Christian, a wonderful parent, and a beloved friend to a large number of people. From his driving the tractor at our yearly hayride to his fascinating delivery of the liberation narrative at the 4th of July festivities dressed in the full attire of a colonial minuteman, we have many pleasant memories of him. His legacy, as a guy with a servant’s heart who stood for truth, is something the family is grateful for.”

Throughout twelve years, Tod Akin served a Republican-leaning east Missouri region that includes St. Louis neighborhoods, turning up a secure position in 2012 to compete for the United States Senate.

He rose from a competitive GOP race to oppose then-incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, just to jeopardize Republicans’ hopes of regaining the majority in the senate in just under 2 weeks.

 Todd Akin, a fierce abortion opponent, when asked if he favored permitting abortions against rape victims by an interviewer at St. Louis TV network. According to him, such deliveries are “very unusual” based on “what I hear from doctors.”

“If it is a genuine rape, the woman’s body has mechanisms to attempt to cut that whole process down,” he continued.

His remarks provoked outrage. Mitt Romney, the Republican primary contender, slammed Akin right away, saying his administration would permit abortions in this kind of instance.

He was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1988, he stayed for a decade. He was first elected to Missouri’s Second Congressional District in 2000 and has since been re-elected 5 times. He additionally participated on the council of Missouri Right to Life, an anti-abortion movement.

Retired State Treasurer Sarah Steelman plus businessman John Brunner were Akin’s rivals during the 2012 United States Senate election.

The date of the burial has yet to be revealed. The former US Representative is survived by Lulli Boe Akin, Akin’s wife, his mother, Nancy Bigelow Akin, 4 sons, 2 daughters, and 18 grandkids.