(WLTX) - U.S. Senator Jim DeMint is endorsing controversial Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin.

DeMint released a joint statement Wednesday along with former GOP Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum.

In the statement, the two make the point that Akin must defeat incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill if the Republicans are to take back the Senate in the November elections.

Akin drew criticism in August for remarks where he said that women's bodies could avert pregnancy in cases of legitimate rape. Akin later apologized, but several prominent Republicans, including GOP Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney, called for him to drop out of the race.

Akin though, promised to stay in the race, and on Tuesday, the final deadline passed for candidates in Missouri to remove their names from the ballot.

Here is DeMint and Santorum's statement:
 
"If Republicans are to win back the Senate and stop President Obama's liberal agenda, we must defeat Senator Claire McCaskill in Missouri.  Her support of President Obama's job-killing, big-spending policies are sending our country into an economic abyss.  And her passionate support of ObamaCare is ensuring healthcare costs go up while quality of care goes down.  Simply put, we cannot afford six more years of Senator McCaskill.
 
"Todd Akin is a principled conservative who is committed to winning and fighting for freedom in the U.S. Senate. Todd will work to stop reckless spending, stop the out of control debt, repeal the government takeover of healthcare, support our military and defend life at every stage.
 
"We support Todd Akin and hope freedom-loving Americans in Missouri and around the country will join us so we can save our country from fiscal collapse," concluded Santorum and DeMint.