Candidates who sparked controversy during campaign season didn't fare so well in this election.

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The campaign season of 2012 was littered with gaffes by politicians. A number of pro-life candidates made some very public, roundly rebuked remarks about rape and a woman's right to abortion—and drew the ire of voters of both genders and on both sides of the political spectrum. And while at first it seemed that some of these candidates would be able to survive their unpopular remarks, now that the results are in, it's clear that nearly all of them did not.

Todd Akin (Republican; U.S. Representative for Missouri's 2nd congressional district, running for U.S. Senate seat)

The remark:

"If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

The result: A month after his infamous rape comment, Akin was still leading some polls by as much as five points. Last night, though, he lost the Senate race to Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill. McCaskill led Akin 55 percent to 39 percent.

Richard Mourdock (Republican; Indiana State Treasurer, running for U.S. Senate seat)

The remark:

"I believe that life begins at conception. The only exception I have to have an abortion is in that case of the life of the mother. I just struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God—that I think even if life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."

The result: With 70 percent of precincts reporting, ABC News called the race for conservative Democrat Joe Donnelly, the congressman from Indiana's District 2.