John Edwards 166163 225663324 2008-07-14T20:09:25Z RGTraynor 270405 Replacing per MOS, Replaced: March of 2 → March 2 using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{dablink|This article is about the American attorney and politician. For other people, see [[John Edwards (disambiguation)]].}} {{Infobox Senator | name=John Edwards | nationality=American | image name=John Edwards, official Senate photo portrait.jpg |imagesize= 220px | jr/sr=United States Senator <!-- do not change this - it is project style to not say "former" here --> | state=[[North Carolina]] | party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] | term_start=[[January 6]] [[1999]] | term_end=[[January 3]] [[2005]] | preceded=[[Lauch Faircloth]] | succeeded=[[Richard Burr]] | date of birth={{birth date and age|1953|06|10}} | place of birth= [[Seneca, South Carolina|Seneca]], [[South Carolina]] | profession=[[Attorney]], [[Politician]] | spouse=[[Elizabeth Edwards]] | alma_mater=[[North Carolina State University]]<br/>[[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] | religion=[[United Methodist Church|United Methodist]] | signature=JRE Signature.jpg }} '''Johnny Reid "John" Edwards'''<!--Johnny Reid Edwards is his birthname, we add "John" because it is how he is now known. Please leave this alone.--><ref>{{cite news | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E1D9143BF934A35754C0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print | title= THE 2004 ELECTION; A First-Term Senator's Swift Political Ascent — John Reid Edwards | author=Sheryl Gay Stolberg | publisher=The New York Times | date=[[2007-07-07]] | accessdate=2007-04-23}}</ref> (born [[June 10]], [[1953]]) is an American politician who served one term as [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from [[North Carolina]]. He was the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] in [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004]], and was a candidate for the [[United States presidential election, 2008|2008 Democratic presidential nomination]] through the [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008|January primaries]], until dropping out, and later endorsing [[United States Senate|Senator]] [[Barack Obama]]. He defeated incumbent [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Lauch Faircloth]] in North Carolina's [[United States Senate elections, 1998|1998 Senate election]] and toward the end of his six-year term sought the Democratic presidential nomination in the [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004 presidential election]]. He eventually became the 2004 Democratic candidate for Vice President, the running mate of presidential nominee Senator [[John Kerry]] of [[Massachusetts]]. After Edwards and Kerry lost the election to incumbents [[George W. Bush]] and [[Dick Cheney]], Edwards began working full time at the One America Committee, a [[political action committee]] he established in 2001, and was appointed director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] [[University of North Carolina School of Law|School of Law]]. He was also a consultant for [[Fortress Investment Group]] LLC. ==Early life, education, and family== Edwards was born [[June 10]] [[1953]] to Wallace Reid Edwards and Catharine Juanita "Bobbie" Edwards ([[née]] Wade) in [[Seneca, South Carolina|Seneca]], [[South Carolina]]. The family moved several times during Edwards' childhood, eventually settling in [[Robbins, North Carolina]], where his father worked as a [[textile mill]] floor worker, eventually promoted to supervisor; his mother had a roadside antique finishing business and then worked as a [[mail|postal letter carrier]] when his father left his job.<ref name="from_mill_town"> {{cite news | url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/10/05/from_mill_town_to_the_national_stage_boston_globe/?page=full |title=From Mill Town to the National Stage | publisher = The Boston Globe | author=Patrick Healy | date= [[2003-10-05]] | accessdate= 2007-03-27}}</ref> A football star in high school,<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5411915/site/newsweek/ | work = [[Newsweek]] | title = John Edwards: VP Hopeful, Boyish Wonder | date = [[2004-07-19]] | accessdate = 2007-09-02 | author = Evan Thomas, Susannah Meadows and Arian Campo-Flores }}</ref> Edwards was the first person in his family to attend college. He attended [[Clemson University]] and transferred to [[North Carolina State University]]. Edwards graduated with high honors earning a [[bachelor's degree]] in [http://www.tx.ncsu.edu/departments/tatm/text_tech_degree.htm textile technology] in 1974, and later earned his [[Juris Doctor]] from the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] (UNC) with honors. While at UNC, he met [[Elizabeth Edwards|Elizabeth Anania]], who is four years his senior. They married in 1977 and would eventually have four children ([[Wade Edwards|Wade]] in 1979, [[Cate Edwards|Cate]] in 1982, Emma Claire in 1998, and Jack in 2000). Their son Wade was killed in a car accident when strong winds swept his Jeep off a North Carolina highway in 1996. Three weeks before his death, Wade Edwards was honored by First Lady [[Hillary Clinton]] at [[The White House]] as one of the 10 finalists in an essay contest sponsored by the [[National Endowment for the Humanities]] and the [[Voice of America]]. Wade, accompanied by his parents and sister, went on to meet North Carolina Sen. [[Jesse Helms]], who entered Wade's essay and his obituary into the congressional record.<ref name="Helms eulogy">{{cite web |url=http://www.wade.org/senator.htm |title=LUCIUS WADE EDWARDS JULY 18, 1979-APRIL 4, 1996 |accessdate=2008-05-21 }}</ref> Edwards and his wife began the Wade Edwards Foundation in their son's memory; the purpose of the nonprofit organization is "to reward, encourage, and inspire young people in the pursuit of excellence." The Foundation funded the Wade Edwards Learning Lab at Wade's high school, [[Broughton High School]] in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], along with scholarship competitions and essay awards. Just weeks before Wade died, he had been honored at the [[White House]] by First Lady [[Hillary Clinton]] for an essay he wrote on entering the voting booth with his father.<ref name="FoxNewsWade">{{cite web |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,262491,00.html|title=John Edwards Opens Up About Death of Teenage Son |author= AP |accessdate=2007-05-21 |date=[[2007-03-29]] }}</ref><ref name="WadeFoundation">{{cite web |url=http://www.wade.org/wef.htm|title=Wade Edwards Foundation|accessdate=2007-05-21 }}</ref> On [[November 3]], [[2004]], Elizabeth Edwards revealed that she had been diagnosed with [[breast cancer]]. She was treated via [[chemotherapy]] and [[radiotherapy]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6522712 |title= Elizabeth Edwards battles breast cancer | author=Katie Couric | publisher= [[MSNBC]] | date=2004-11-21| accessdate=2007-05-20}}</ref> and continued to work within the Democratic Party and her husband's [[One America Committee]]. On [[March 22]] [[2007]], during his campaign for the 2008 Democratic nomination for the presidency, Edwards and his wife announced that her cancer had returned; she was diagnosed with [[Cancer staging|stage IV]] [[breast cancer]], with newly discovered [[metastasis|metastases]] to the bone and possibly to her lung.<ref name="pressconference">{{cite web| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/22/AR2007032201422.html |title=Former Sen. Edwards Holds a News Conference on Wife's Health: Breast Cancer Has Returned |author=Transcript of press conference |publisher=The Washington Post|date=2007-03-22|accessdate=2007-03-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/22/edwards.2008/index.html | title= Edwards: Wife's cancer returns, campaign goes on | publisher=CNN | author=Candy Crowley | date=[[2007-03-23]] | accessdate=2007-06-14}}</ref> They said that the cancer was "no longer curable, but is completely treatable"<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/03/22/cancer.edwards/index.html | title= Edwards: Cancer 'no longer curable' | publisher=CNN | author=Mary Carter |coauthors=Elizabeth Cohen and Amy Burkholder | date=[[2007-05-22]] | accessdate=2007-06-14}}</ref> and that they planned to continue campaigning together with an occasional break when she requires treatment.<ref name="Elizabethhealth">{{cite web | url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070322/ap_on_el_pr/edwards2008 |title=Edwards Presses on With 2008 Campaign |author= Nedra Pickler|work=ap.org |accessdate=2007-03-22 |date=[[2007-03-22]] }}</ref><ref name="pressconference" /> ==Legal career== [[Image:Four Trials.jpg|upright|thumb|left|''[[Four Trials]]'' by John Edwards]] After law school, Edwards [[law clerk|clerked]] for a federal judge and in 1978 became an associate at the [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] law firm of Dearborn & Ewing, doing primarily trial work, defending a Nashville bank and other corporate clients. The Edwards family returned to North Carolina in 1981, settling in the capital of [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] where he joined the firm of Tharrington, Smith & Hargrove.<ref name="EdwardsTrialWork">{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/31/politics/campaign/31EDWA.html?ex=1179979200&en=2bafc6d02676f7ff&ei=5070 | title=In Trial Work, Edwards Left a Trademark | publisher=The New York Times | author=Adam Liptak and Michael Moss |date=2004-01-31 | accessdate=2007-05-21}}</ref> In 1984 Edwards was assigned to a medical malpractice lawsuit that had been perceived to be unwinnable; the firm had only accepted it as a favor to an attorney and state senator who did not want to keep it. Nevertheless, Edwards won a $3.7 million verdict on behalf of his client, who had suffered permanent brain and nerve damage after a doctor prescribed a drug overdose of the anti-[[alcoholism]] drug [[Antabuse]] during alcohol aversion therapy.<ref name="findlaw">{{cite web | url=http://news.findlaw.com/newsmakers/john.edwards.html | title=John Edwards | publisher=FindLaw | date= n.d.| accessdate=2007-03-25}}</ref> In other cases, Edwards sued the [[American Red Cross]] three times, alleging transmission of [[AIDS]] through tainted blood products, resulting in a confidential settlement each time, and defended a North Carolina newspaper against a libel charge.<ref name="EdwardsTrialWork" /> In 1985, Edwards represented a five-year-old child born with cerebral palsy whose doctor did not choose to perform an immediate [[Caesarean section|Caesarean delivery]] when a fetal monitor showed she was in distress. Edwards won a $6.5 million verdict for his client, but five weeks later, the presiding judge sustained the verdict but overturned the award on grounds that it was "excessive" and that it appeared "to have been given under the influence of passion and prejudice," adding that in his opinion "the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict." He offered the plaintiffs $3.25 million, half of the jury's award, but the child's family appealed the case and received $4.25 million in a settlement.<ref name="EdwardsTrialWork" /> Winning this case established the North Carolina precedent of physician and hospital liability for failing to determine if the patient understood the risks of a particular procedure.<ref name="findlaw" /> After this trial, Edwards gained national attention as a plaintiff's lawyer. He filed at least twenty similar lawsuits in the years following and achieved verdicts and settlements of more than $60 million for his clients. These successful lawsuits were followed by similar ones across the country. When asked about an increase in Caesarean deliveries nationwide, perhaps to avoid similar medical malpractice lawsuits, Edwards said, "The question is, would you rather have cases where that happens instead of having cases where you don't intervene and a child either becomes disabled for life or dies in utero?"<ref name="EdwardsTrialWork" /> In 1993, Edwards began his own firm in Raleigh (now named [http://www.kirby-holt.com/ Kirby & Holt]) with a friend, David Kirby. He became known as the top plaintiffs' attorney in North Carolina.<ref name="EdwardsTrialWork" /> The biggest case of his legal career was a 1997 product liability lawsuit against Sta-Rite, the manufacturer of a defective pool drain cover. The case involved Valerie Lakey, a five-year-old girl<ref>{{cite news | url=http://ncstormtrack.com/news/local/story/160341/ | title=Defense Rests in Pool Drain Lawsuit | publisher=WRAL | date=[[1996-12-17]] | accessdate=2007-05-21}}</ref> who was disemboweled by the suction power of the pool drain pump when she sat on an open pool drain whose protective cover other children at the pool had removed, after the swim club had failed to install the cover properly. Despite 12 prior suits with similar claims, Sta-Rite continued to make and sell drain covers lacking warnings. Sta-Rite protested that an additional warning would have made no difference because the pool owners already knew the importance of keeping the cover secured. In his closing arguments, Edwards spoke to the jury for an hour and a half and referenced his son, Wade, who had been killed shortly before testimony began. Mark Dayton, editor of ''North Carolina Lawyers Weekly'', would later call it "the most impressive legal performance I have ever seen."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0110.green.html | title=John Edwards, Esq. | publisher=Washington Monthly | author=Joshua Green |date=[[2001-01-10]] | accessdate=2007-03-25}}</ref> The jury awarded the family $25 million, the largest personal injury award in North Carolina history. The company settled for the $25 million while the jury was deliberating additional [[punitive damages]], rather than risk losing an appeal. For their part in this case, Edwards and law partner David Kirby earned the [[Association of Trial Lawyers of America]]'s national award for public service.<ref name="findlaw" /> The family said that they hired Edwards over other attorneys because he alone had offered to accept a smaller percentage as fee unless the award was unexpectedly high, while all of the other lawyers they spoke with said they required the full one-third fee. The size of the jury award was unprecedented, and Edwards did receive the standard one-third plus expenses fee typical of contingency cases. The family was so impressed with his intelligence and commitment<ref name="EdwardsTrialWork" /> that they volunteered for his Senate campaign the next year. After Edwards won a large verdict against a trucking company whose worker had been involved in a fatal accident, the North Carolina legislature passed a law prohibiting such awards unless the employee's actions had been specifically sanctioned by the company.<ref name="EdwardsTrialWork" /> In December 2003, during his first presidential campaign, Edwards (with [[John Auchard]]) published ''[[Four Trials]]'', a biographical book focusing on cases from his legal career. The success of the Sta-Rite case and his son's death (Edwards had hoped his son would eventually join him in private law practice) prompted Edwards to leave the legal profession and seek public office. ==Senate career== [[Image:John Edwards on Meet The Press.jpg|thumb|upright|Senator Edwards on ''[[Meet The Press]]'']] Edwards won election to the U.S. Senate in 1998 as a Democrat running against incumbent Republican Senator [[Lauch Faircloth]]. Despite originally being the underdog, Edwards beat Faircloth by 51.2% to 47.0% — a margin of some 83,000 votes. During [[President of the United States|President]] [[Bill Clinton]]'s [[Impeachment of Bill Clinton|1999 impeachment trial in the Senate]], Edwards was responsible for the [[deposition (law)|deposition]] of witnesses [[Monica Lewinsky]] and fellow Democrat [[Vernon Jordan, Jr.]] During the 2000 presidential campaign, Edwards was on Democratic nominee [[Al Gore]]'s vice presidential nominee "short list" (along with [[John Kerry]] and [[Joe Lieberman]], Gore's eventual pick).<ref>{{cite news|last=Rudin|first=Ken|title=Sen. John Edwards|url=http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/democrats2004/edwards.html|publisher=[[National Public Radio]]|date=2003-01-30|accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> In his time in the Senate, Edwards co-sponsored 203 bills.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db=d107&querybd=@FIELD(FLD004+@4((@1(Sen+Edwards++John))+01573)): | title=Search Results | publisher=The Library of Congress | accessdate=2007-03-25}}</ref> Among them was Lieberman's 2002 [[Iraq War]] Resolution (S.J.Res.46) which he co-sponsored along with 15 other senators, but which did not go to a vote;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:SJ00046:@@@P: | title=S.J.RES.46 | publisher=The Library of Congress | accessdate=2007-03-25}}</ref> he voted for replacement resolution (H.J Res. 114) in the full Senate to authorize the use of military force against Iraq, which passed by a vote of 77 to 23,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00237 | title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes: H.J Res. 114 | publisher=United States Senate | accessdate=2007-12-18}}</ref> saying on [[October 10]] [[2002]] that "Almost no one disagrees with these basic facts: that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a menace; that he has weapons of mass destruction and that he is doing everything in his power to get nuclear weapons; that he has supported terrorists; that he is a grave threat to the region, to vital allies like [[Israel]], and to the United States; and that he is thwarting the will of the international community and undermining the [[United Nations]]' credibility."<ref>{{cite news|url= http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=apXyrHjc4RSs&refer=us | title=Edwards Says He Still Would Have Voted to Authorize War in Iraq | author=Jay Newton-Small and Laurence Arnold | publisher= Bloomberg News | date=2004-10-11 | accessdate=2007-08-17}}</ref> He defended his vote on an [[October 10]] [[2004]] appearance on ''[[Meet the Press]]'', saying "I would have voted for the resolution knowing what I know today, because it was the right thing to do to give the president the authority to confront [[Saddam Hussein]]...I think Saddam Hussein was a very serious threat. I stand by that, and that's why [John Kerry and I] stand behind our vote on the resolution".<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6200928/ | title=Meet the Press transcript for October 10, 2004}}</ref> However, he subsequently changed his mind about the war and apologized for that military authorization vote. Edwards also voted in favor of the [[Patriot Act]]. Among other positions, Edwards was generally [[pro-choice]] and supported [[affirmative action]], and the [[Capital punishment in the United States|death penalty]]. One of his first sponsored bills was the ''Fragile X Research Breakthrough Act of 1999''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.1131.IS: | title=Fragile X Research Breakthrough Act of 1999 | publisher=Library of Congress | date=[[1999-05-26]] |accessdate=2007-03-25}}</ref> He was also the first person to introduce comprehensive anti-spyware legislation with the ''Spyware Control and Privacy Protection Act''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:SN03180:@@@L&summ2=m& | title=S.3180 | publisher=The Library of Congress | accessdate=2007-03-25}}</ref> He advocated rolling back the [[George W. Bush|Bush administration]]'s tax cuts and ending mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent offenders.<ref name=ontheissues>{{cite web | url=http://ontheissues.org/John_Edwards.htm | title=John Edwards on the Issues | publisher=OnTheIssues | accessdate=2007-03-25}}</ref> Edwards generally supported expanding legal immigration to the United States while working with [[Mexico]] to provide better border security and stop illegal trafficking.<ref name=ontheissues/><ref>[http://grades.betterimmigration.com/testgrades.php3?District=NC&VIPID=483&retired=1 Immigration Voting Report Card for Sen. John Edwards<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Edwards served on the [[U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence]] and [[U.S. Senate Committee on Judiciary]], and was a member of the [[New Democrat Coalition]]. Before the [[United States Senate elections, 2004|2004 Senate election]], Edwards announced his retirement from the Senate and supported [[Erskine Bowles]], former [[White House Chief of Staff]], as the successor to his seat; Bowles, however, was defeated by Republican [[Richard Burr]] in the election. ==2004 presidential campaign== {{main|United States presidential election, 2004}} In 2000, Edwards unofficially began his presidential campaign when he began to seek speaking engagements in [[Iowa]], the site of the nation's [[Iowa caucuses|first party caucuses]]. On [[January 2]] [[2003]], Edwards began [[fundraising]] without officially campaigning by forming an exploratory committee. On [[September 15]] [[2003]], Edwards fulfilled a promise he made a year earlier as a guest on ''[[The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]]'' to unofficially announce his intention to seek the [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2004|2004 Democratic Presidential nomination]]. The next morning, Edwards made the announcement officially from his hometown. He declined to run for reelection to the Senate in order to focus on his presidential run. Edwards' campaign was chaired by North Carolina Democratic activist [[Ed Turlington]]. As Edwards had been building support essentially since his election to the Senate, he led the initial campaign fundraising, amassing over $7 million during the first quarter of 2003 &ndash; more than half of which came from individuals associated with the legal profession, particularly Edwards' fellow trial lawyers, their families, and employees.<ref>[http://www.hillnews.com/news/050703/edwards.aspx ''Hill News''], May 7, 2003</ref> Edwards' "stump speech" spoke of [[two Americas]], with one composed of the wealthy and privileged, and the other of the hard-working common man,<ref>http://quote.wikipedia.org/wiki/John Edwards#Two Americas</ref> causing the media to often characterize Edwards as a [[populism|populist]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30354-2004Jul6.html | title=Kerry picks Edwards as running mate: Mass. senator calls ex-rival a man of middle-class values | author=Jim VandeHei and Dan Balz | publisher=''The Washington Post'' | date=2004-07-06 | accessdate=2008-04-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3872003.stm | title=Kerry and Edwards start campaign | publisher=BBC News | date=2004-07-07 | accessdate=2008-04-01}}</ref> Edwards struggled to gain substantial support, but his poll numbers began to rise steadily weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Edwards had a surprising second place finish with the support of 32% of delegates, behind only [[John Kerry]]'s 39% and ahead of former front-runner [[Howard Dean]] at 18%. One week later in the [[New Hampshire primary]], Edwards finished in fourth place behind Kerry, Dean and [[Wesley Clark]], with 12%. During the [[February 3]] primaries, Edwards won the South Carolina primary,<ref>[http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P04/SC-D.phtml#0203 2004 South Carolina primary results]</ref> lost to Clark in [[Oklahoma]], and lost to Kerry in the other states. Edwards garnered the second largest number of second-place finishes, again falling behind Clark.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/primaries/pages/dates/02/03/index.html CNN]</ref> [[Image:John-Edwards-Shakes-Hands.jpg|left|thumb|Edwards on the campaign trail in 2004]]Dean withdrew from the contest, leaving Edwards the only major challenger to Kerry. In the [[Wisconsin]] primary on [[February 17]], Edwards finished second to Kerry with 34% of the vote. Edwards largely avoided attacking Kerry until a [[February 29]] [[2004]] debate in New York, where he characterized him as a "Washington insider" and mocked Kerry's plan to form a committee to examine [[trade agreement]]s. In the [[Super Tuesday]] primaries on [[March 2]], Kerry finished well ahead in nine of the ten states voting, and Edwards' campaign ended. In [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], Edwards finished only slightly behind Kerry but, failing to win a single state, chose to withdraw from the race. He announced his official withdrawal at a [[Raleigh, North Carolina]] press conference on [[March 3]]. Edwards' withdrawal made major media outlets relatively early on the evening of Super Tuesday, at about 6:30 p.m. CST, before polls had closed in [[California]] and before caucuses in [[Minnesota]] had even begun. It is thought that the withdrawal influenced many people in Minnesota to vote for other candidates, which may partially account for the strong Minnesota finish of [[Dennis Kucinich]].{{Or|date=September 2007}} Edwards did win the presidential [[straw poll]] conducted by the [[Independence Party of Minnesota]]. After withdrawing from the race, he went on to win the [[April 17]] Democratic caucuses in his home state of<!--home state of North Carolina on April 17 is correct; birth state of South Carolina was on February 3 and is shown above. Please don't change this as it is correct--> North Carolina,<ref>[http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P04/NC-D.phtml 2004 North Carolina caucuses results]</ref> making him the only Democratic candidate besides Kerry to win nominating contests in two states. ===2004 vice presidential nomination=== {{main|John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004}} [[Image:Kerryedwards.JPG|right|thumb|Kerry/Edwards campaign logo]] On [[July 6]] [[2004]] Kerry announced that Edwards would be his running mate; the decision was widely hailed in public opinion polls and by Democratic leaders. Though many Democrats supported Edwards' nomination, others criticized the selection for Edwards' perceived lack of experience. The nomination caused the [[United States Chamber of Commerce|Chamber of Commerce]] network to throw its support to [[George W. Bush]] because of Edwards' opposition to [[tort reform in the United States|tort reform]].<ref>[http://www.pointoflaw.com/archives/000488.php PointofLaw.com | PointOfLaw Forum: Democrats' support for trial lawyers polarizes business community<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In the vice presidential debate, [[Dick Cheney]] incorrectly told Edwards they never met because of Edwards' frequent absences from the Senate. The media later found at least one videotape of Cheney and Edwards meeting. Kerry's campaign advisor [[Bob Shrum]] later reported in ''Time'' magazine that Kerry said he wished he'd never picked Edwards, and the two have since stopped speaking to each other.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1626498-2,00.html Kerry's Regrets About John Edwards - TIME<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Edwards said in his concession speech, "You can be disappointed, but you cannot walk away. This fight has just begun." ==Post-Senate activities== The day after his concession speech, he announced his wife Elizabeth had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Edwards told interviewer [[Larry King]] that he doubted he would return to practice as a trial lawyer and showed no interest in succeeding [[Terry McAuliffe]] as the [[Democratic National Committee]] chairman. In February 2005, Edwards headlined the "100 Club" Dinner, a major fundraiser for the [[New Hampshire]] Democratic Party. That same month, Edwards was appointed as director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] for studying ways to move people out of [[poverty]]. That fall, Edwards toured ten major universities in order to promote "Opportunity Rocks!", a program aimed at getting youth involved to fight poverty. On [[March 21]] [[2005]], Edwards recorded his first [[podcast]]<ref>http://oneamericacommittee.com/media/podcasts/20050321/</ref> with [[Elizabeth Anania Edwards|his wife]]. Several months later, in August, Edwards delivered an address to a potential key supporter in the Iowa caucus, the [[AFL-CIO]] in [[Waterloo, Iowa]]. In the following month, Edwards sent an [[email]] to his supporters and announced that he opposed the nomination of Judge [[John G. Roberts|John Roberts]] to become [[Chief Justice of the United States]]. He was also opposed to the nomination of Justice [[Samuel Alito]] as an Associate Justice and Judge Charles Pickering's appointment to the Federal bench. During the summer and fall of 2005, he visited [[homeless shelter]]s and job training centers and spoke at events organized by [[Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now|ACORN]], the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People|NAACP]] and the [[Service Employees International Union|SEIU]]. He spoke in favor of an expansion of the [[earned income tax credit]], a crackdown on [[predatory lending]], an increase in the [[capital gains tax]] rate, [[Section 8 (housing)|housing vouchers]] for [[minority group|racial minorities]] (to integrate upper-income neighborhoods), and a program modeled on the [[Works Progress Administration]] to rehabilitate the [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf Coast]] following [[Hurricane Katrina]]. In [[Greene County, North Carolina]] he unveiled the pilot program for College for Everyone, an educational measure he promised during his presidential campaign, in which prospective college students would receive a [[scholarship]] for their first year in exchange for ten hours of work a week. Edwards was co-chair of a [[Council on Foreign Relations]] task force on [[Russia-United States relations|United States-Russia relations]] alongside Republican [[Jack Kemp]], a former congressman, Cabinet official and vice presidential nominee.<ref>[http://www.cfr.org/publication.html?id=8142 John Edwards and Jack Kemp Co-Chair Council Task Force on Russian-American Relations - Council on Foreign Relations<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The task force issued its report in March 2006.<ref>[http://www.cfr.org/publication/9997/ Russia's Wrong Direction - Council on Foreign Relations<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On [[July 12]], the ''International Herald Tribune'' published a related [[op-ed]] by Edwards and Kemp.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/12/opinion/edkemp.php We need to be tough with Russia - International Herald Tribune<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On [[April 6]] [[2006]], Edwards joined [[Ted Kennedy]] at a rally for raising the [[minimum wage]].<ref>http://www.senatedemocrats.net/node/775</ref> In October 2005, Edwards joined the [[Wall Street]] investment firm [[Fortress Investment Group]] as a senior adviser, later working with them as a consultant.<ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/oct2005/nf20051013_3314_db016.htm John Edwards Hits the Street<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Unknown to Edwards,<ref name="Fortress"> {{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/10/AR2007051002277.html | title=Edwards Says He Didn't Know About Subprime Push | author=Alec MacGillis and John Solomon | publisher=The Washington Post | date=2007-05-11 | accessdate=2007-05-13}}</ref> Fortress owned a major stake in Green Tree Servicing LLC, which rose to prominence in the 1990s selling subprime loans to mobile-home owners and now services subprime loans originated by others. Subprime loans allow buyers with poor credit histories to be funded, but they charge higher rates because of the risk, and sometimes carry hidden fees and increased charges over time.<ref name="Fortress" /> In August 2007, ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that a portion of the Edwards family's assets were invested in Fortress Investment Group, which had, in turn, invested a portion of its assets in subprime mortgage lenders, some of which had foreclosed on the homes of Hurricane Katrina victims.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118728685546999884.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news Free Preview - WSJ.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/17/america/NA-POL-White-House-Edwards-Foreclosure.php John Edwards says he will divest funds linked to lenders foreclosing in New Orleans - International Herald Tribune<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Upon learning of Fortress' investments, Edwards divested funds and stated that he would try to help the affected families.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20321742/ | title=Edwards to end investments with lenders: Says he won't have his money involved with Katrina-related foreclosures | publisher=Associated Press | date=2007-08-17 | accessdate=2007-08-17}}</ref> Edwards later helped set up an ACORN- administered "Louisiana Home Rescue Fund" seeded with $100,000, much of it from his pocket, to provide loans and grants to the families who were foreclosed on by Fortress-owned lenders.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/09/14/edwards_to_the_rescue_on_forec.html| title=Edwards to 'Rescue' On Foreclosures | publisher=The Washington Post | author=Alec MacGillis |date=September 14, 2007| accessdate=2007-09-17}}</ref> ==2008 Presidential campaign== {{main|John Edwards presidential campaign, 2008}} <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:JRE 08.gif|thumb|right|John Edwards 2008]] --> [[Image:John Edwards Pittsburgh 2007.jpg|thumb|right|John Edwards campaigning in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] on [[Labor Day]] in 2007]] On [[December 28]] [[2006]], John Edwards officially announced his candidacy for President in the 2008 election from the yard of a home in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]] that was being rebuilt after it was destroyed by [[Hurricane Katrina]].<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2521766,00.html John Edwards joins race for White House - Times Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/27/AR2006122701452.html | title=John Edwards Joins Presidential Race | publisher=The Washington Post | author=Nedra Pickler | date=[[2006-12-28]] | accessdate=2006-12-28}}</ref> Edwards stated that his main goals were eliminating poverty, fighting [[global warming]], providing [[universal health care]], and withdrawing troops from Iraq.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-12-28-edwards-2008_x.htm| title=Edwards takes another shot at run for White House | publisher=USA Today | date=[[2006-12-29]] | accessdate=2007-07-06}}</ref> National polls had Edwards placing third among the Democratic field beginning in January 2007, behind Senator [[Hillary Clinton]] and Senator [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Clinton, Obama in Virtual Tie Among Democrats | url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/Political%20Tracking/Democratic%20Primaries/DemocraticPrimary.htm | publisher=Rasmussen FReports | date=[[2007-01-17]] | accessdate=2007-06-01}}</ref> As of July 2007, the Edwards campaign raised a total of $23 million from nearly 100,000 donors, placing him behind Obama and Clinton in fundraising.<ref> {{cite news | http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/01/ap3874969.html | title=Edwards Raises More Than $9 Million | author=Jim Kuhnhenn | publisher=Forbes.com | date=2007-07-01 | accessdate=2007-07-06}}</ref> Also in 2007, another defective pool drain-related accident similar to the one that disemboweled Valerie Lakey (see "Legal career" above) occurred in Minnesota. The victim was six-year old [[Abigail Taylor]]. Edwards pushed to have federal pool safety strengthened and played a part in the passage of the [[Virginia Baker Pool Safety Act]]. On [[January 3]] [[2008]], in the [[Iowa Democratic caucuses, 2008|Iowa caucuses]], the first contest of the nomination process, Edwards placed second with 29.75 percent of the vote to Obama (37.58 percent), with Clinton coming in third with 29.47 percent of the vote.<ref>[http://www.iowacaucusresults.com/ Iowa Democratic Party Caucus Results<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On [[January 8]], Edwards placed a distant third in the [[New Hampshire Democratic primary]] with just less than 17% (48,818 votes). On [[January 26]], Edwards again placed third in the [[South Carolina Democratic primary, 2008|primary in South Carolina]], his birth state, which he carried in 2004, and he placed third in the non-binding [[January 29]] vote in Florida. [[Image:John Edwards in New Orleans 2008.jpg|left|thumb|In a speech given at the [[Musicians' Village]] in New Orleans, Edwards announced his withdrawal from the 2008 United States presidential race.]] On [[January 30]] [[2008]], Edwards announced that he was suspending his campaign for the Presidency.<ref name="CBSend">{{cite news | url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/30/politics/main3768889.shtml?source=mostpop_story | title=Edwards exits presidential race | publisher=CBS News | date=2008-01-30 | accessdate=2008-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2964765820080131/ | title = "Giuliani, Edwards quit White House Race" | date = 2008-01-30 | accessdate = 2008-01-30 | publisher = [[Reuters]] | first = Steve | last = Holland }}</ref> He did not initially endorse either Clinton or Obama, saying they both had pledged to carry forward his central campaign theme of ending poverty in America.<ref name="Globeend">{{cite news | url=http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/01/edwards_drops_o.html | title=Edwards drops out of race | author=Foon Rhee | publisher=''Boston Globe'' | date=2008-01-30 | accessdate=2008-01-30}}</ref> In April 2008 he stated that he would not accept the 2008 Vice Presidential slot if asked.<ref>{{cite news | title= John Edwards says would not accept VP nomination | author=Sinead Carew | url=http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0336718220080403 | publisher=Reuters | date=2008-04-03 | accessdate=2008-05-14}}</ref> On [[May 14]], [[2008]], Edwards officially endorsed Senator Obama at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan<ref>http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/14/edwards.obama/</ref>. On [[June 15]], [[2008]], Edwards stepped back from his initial outright denial of the position of the Vice President, leaving some openness to the idea saying, ”I’d take anything he asks me to think about seriously, but obviously this is something that I’ve done and it’s not a job I’m seeking." <ref>{{cite news | title= Edwards not ruling out new VP bid under Obama | url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080615/pl_afp/usvotevp | publisher=AFP | date=2008-06-15 | accessdate=2008-06-15}}</ref>. On [[June 20]], [[2008]], The Associated Press reported that according to a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, the names of John Edwards and Sam Nunn are on Barack Obama's vice presidential shortlist. The two are the first names known to be on the list. <ref>{{cite news | title= AP: Edwards makes Obama's VP List | url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/20/ap-edwards-makes-obamas-vp-list/ | publisher=AP | date=2008-06-20 | accessdate=2008-06-20}}</ref> ==Political positions== {{main|Political positions of John Edwards}} Edwards promotes programs to eliminate poverty in the United States, is pro-choice, and supports "College for Everyone" initiatives. He has endorsed efforts to slow down global warming. Although Edwards initially supported the Iraq War, he later re-evaluated his position and in November 2005 wrote an [[Op-Ed|op-ed]] in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' in which he said he regretted voting for the Iraq War Resolution, and discussed three solutions for success in the conflict.<ref name="WashpoOpEd">{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/11/AR2005111101623.html | title=The Right Way in Iraq | author=John Edwards | work=The Washington Post | page=B07 | date=2005-11-13 | accessdate=2007-12-18}}</ref> He has denounced the "[[Iraq War troop surge of 2007|troop surge]]" in Iraq, is a proponent of withdrawal, and has urged Congress to withhold funding for the war without a withdrawal timetable.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/23/democrats.dilemma/index.html| title=Dems in tough spot with war funding bill | publisher=CNN | date=2007-05-24 | accessdate=2007-05-24}}</ref> Edwards argues in favor of creating one million housing vouchers over five years in order to place poor people in middle-class neighborhoods. Edwards has stated, "If we truly believe that we are all equal, then we should live together too."<ref>{{Citation| last=MacGillis| first=Alec| publication-date =Monday, May 7, 2007|date=May 7|year=2007 |title=On Poverty, Edwards Faces Old Hurdles |periodical=The Washington Post| place=Washington, D.C. | publisher=The Washington Post |pages=A01 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/06/AR2007050601322_pf.html| accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref> Edwards has a [[universal health care]] plan that requires all Americans to purchase health care insurance,<ref name="Healthcare_required">{{cite web|url=http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/health-care/health-care-fact-sheet/ | title=Universal Health Care Through Shared Responsibility}}</ref> "requires that everybody get preventive care,"<ref name="Healthcare_preventive">{{cite web|url=http://sendtofriend.abcnews.go.com/Politics/CancerPreventionAndTreatment/wireStory?id=3551321 | title=Edwards Backs Mandatory Preventive Care}}</ref> and requires employers to provide health care insurance or be taxed to fund public health care.<ref name="Q&A">{{cite news | url=http://www.coxwashington.com/news/content/reporters/stories/2007/02/07/BC_EDWARDS_QANDA06.html | title=Q&A With John Edwards On Health Care | author=Scott Shepard | publisher=Cox News Service | date=2007-02-07 |accessdate=2007-12-18}}</ref> He supports a pathway to citizenship for [[illegal immigrant]]s,<ref name="Q&A" /> is opposed to a [[constitutional amendment]] banning [[same-sex marriage]],<ref name="Edwards on the issues">{{cite news |last= |first= |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/2004/John_Edwards_Civil_Rights.htm |title=John Edwards on Civil Rights |publisher=On the Issues |date=2004 |accessdate=2007-01-03}}</ref> and supports the repeal of the [[Defense of Marriage Act]] (DOMA).<ref>{{cite web|title=John Edwards on Civil Rights|url=http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/John_Edwards_Civil_Rights.htm|publisher=OnTheIssues.org|date=2008-01-21|accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> ==Electoral history== '''[[North Carolina United States Senate election, 1998]] (Democratic primary)'''<ref>[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=39748 Our Campaigns - NC US Senate - D Primary Race - May 18, 1998<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> * [[John Edwards]] - 277,468 (51.38%) * [[D.G. Martin]] - 149,049 (27.60%) * Ella Butler Scarborough - 55,486 (10.28%) * Bob Ayers - 22,477 (4.16%) * Mike Robinson - 20,178 (3.74%) * James Everette Carmack - 8,200 (1.52%) * Gene Gay - 7,173 (1.33%) '''[[North Carolina United States Senate election, 1998]]'''<ref>[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=146 Our Campaigns - NC US Senate Race - Nov 03, 1998<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> * [[John Edwards]] (D) - 1,029,237 (51.15%) * [[Lauch Faircloth]] (R) (inc.) - 945,943 (47.01%) * [[Barbara Howe]] (Lib.) - 36,963 (1.84%) '''[[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2004|2004 Democratic presidential primaries]]'''<ref>[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=1689 Our Campaigns - US President - D Primaries Race - Jan 13, 2004<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> * [[John Kerry]] - 9,930,497 (60.98%) * [[John Edwards]] - 3,162,337 (19.42%) * [[Howard Dean]] - 903,460 (5.55%) * [[Dennis Kucinich]] - 620,242 (3.81%) * [[Wesley Clark]] - 547,369 (3.36%) * [[Al Sharpton]] - 380,865 (2.34%) * [[Joe Lieberman]] - 280,940 (1.73%) * Uncommitted - 157,953 (0.97%) * [[Lyndon LaRouche]] - 103,731 (0.64%) * [[Carol Moseley Braun]] - 98,469 (0.61%) * [[Dick Gephardt]] - 63,902 (0.39%) '''[[United States presidential election, 2004]]''' * [[George W. Bush]]/[[Dick Cheney]] (R) (inc.) - 62,040,610 (50.7%) and 286 electoral votes (31 states carried) * [[John Kerry]]/[[John Edwards]] (D) - 59,028,111 (48.3%) and 251 electoral votes (19 states and D.C. carried) * [[John Edwards]] (D) - 1 electoral vote ([[faithless elector]]) * [[Ralph Nader]]/[[Peter Camejo]] (Ind./Reform) - 465,650 (0.38%) * [[Michael Badnarik]]/[[Richard Campagna]] (Lib.) - 397,265 (0.32%) * [[Michael Peroutka]]/[[Chuck Baldwin]] (Constitution) - 143,630 (0.12) * [[David Cobb]]/[[Pat LaMarche]] (Green) - 119,859 (0.096%) ==Environmental Record== John Edwards has made several statements, and made several proposals while running for office. In March 2007 he was the first presidential [[candidate]] to make his campaign “carbon neutral.” He started buying carbon offsets to reduce his [[carbon emissions]] and having his offices buy recycled paper products. <ref> Grist Jan. 30, 2008 Retrieved May 1, 2008 http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/07/31/edwards_factsheet/ </ref> He also said in a speech "Why has America not addressed global warming in a serious way? There's a very simple answer for that. Oil companies, power companies, gas companies and their [[lobbyist]]s in Washington, D.C." <ref> Friends of the Earth Sep. 16, 2007 retrieved May 1, 2008 http://action.foe.org/content.jsp?content_KEY=3354&t=FoE_Action_PAC.dwt </ref> Most of his stances on the environment are very positive. He has voted against drilling in the Arctic five times, and supports standard that would require renewable sources to be the source of 10 percent of America's electricity by 2020. On global warming, he has denounced the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]] for not signing the [[Kyoto]] treaty and he supports the McCain-Lieberman bill to establish a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. <ref> Salon July 20, 2004 retrieved May 1, 2008 http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/feature/2004/07/20/muckraker_edwards/index.html </ref> ==Bibliography== * ''[[Four Trials]]'' (with [[John Auchard]]) (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2003) ISBN 0743244974 * ''Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives'' (New York: Collins, 2006) ISBN 0060884541 * ''Ending Poverty in America: How to Restore the American Dream'', co-editor (New Press, 2007)<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003685693_edwardsbook29.html "John Edwards pushes focus on poverty in book"]</ref> ISBN 1595581766 ==See also== *[[Two Americas]] *[[United States presidential election, 2008]] *[[Official and Potential 2008 United States presidential election Democratic candidates]] *[[Opinion polling for the Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008]] *[[Democratic presidential debates, 2008]] ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== {{wikiquote}} {{Wikisource author}} {{commons}} * [http://www.johnedwards.com/ John Edwards for President] official campaign website * [http://blog.johnedwards.com/ John Edwards '08 Blog] official campaign blog * [http://www.law.unc.edu/povertycenter/ Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity] * [http://www.myspace.com/johnedwards Myspace profile] * [http://news.findlaw.com/newsmakers/john.edwards.html Notable cases] via FindLaw * [http://www.mensvogue.com/business/politics/feature/articles/2007/06/john_edwards ''Men's Vogue'' profile of John Edwards] *[http://www.nndb.com/people/306/000024234/ Notable Names Database] profile *[http://www.enewsreference.com/john_edwards.shtml John Edwards eNews Reference] * [http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/2008/candidates/John-Edwards.html USAElectionPolls] poll results ;Record {{CongLinks | congbio = E000286 | fec = S8NC00122 | opensecrets = N00002283 | votesmart = 21107 | ontheissuespath = John_Edwards.htm}} *[http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/P40002347 John Edwards's presidential campaign finance reports and data] at the [[Federal Election Commission]] *[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Edwards John Edwards's' Congresspedia profile] *{{dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Candidates_and_Campaigns/Presidential/2008/Candidates/Edwards,_John}} ;Speeches and statements * July 27, 2004, Democratic National Convention speech: [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,127391,00.html Transcript text] * October 5, 2004, Vice Presidential Debate: [http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004b.html Transcript text], [http://cspanquery.streamsage.com/query/playback.smil?XslFile=realplayer.xsl&contentType=text/smil&FILEID=139&WD=true&search=&numDisplay=10&startValue=1&sortBy=file_date&sortOrder=desc&program=&source=&div_display=none&startDate=2004-01-01&endDate=&s Audio] and [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/politics/100504-16v.ram Video] * January 18, 2008, Presidential campaign speech in [[Los Angeles, California]], [http://www.hotpotatomash.com/2008/01/video-exclusive.html video] {{start box}} {{s-par|us-sen}} {{U.S. Senator box | state= North Carolina | class=3| before = [[Lauch Faircloth]] | after = [[Richard Burr]] | alongside= [[Jesse Helms]], [[Elizabeth Dole]] | years= 1999–2005}} {{s-ppo}} {{succession box | title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of United States Senators from North Carolina|Senator from North Carolina]] (Class 3) | before=[[Terry Sanford]] | after=[[Erskine Bowles]] | years=[[United States Senate elections, 1998|1998]] }} {{succession box | title=[[List of United States Democratic Party Vice Presidential nominees|Democratic Party Vice Presidential candidate]] | before=[[Joe Lieberman]] | after= N/A: Most recent'''<sup>(1)</sup> | years=[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]] }} {{s-ref|Most recent presidential election [[Wikipedia:as of|as of]] [[as of 2007|2007]]}} {{United States presidential election, 2008}} {{John Edwards}} {{USSenNC}} {{USDemVicePresNominees}} {{Lifetime|1953|LIVING|Edwards, John}} {{Persondata |NAME=Edwards, Johnny Reid |ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Edwards, John |SHORT DESCRIPTION=American politician |DATE OF BIRTH=[[June 10]], [[1953]] |PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Seneca, South Carolina|Seneca]], [[South Carolina]] |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= }} [[Category:2004 U.S. presidential election controversy and irregularities]] [[Category:Anti-poverty advocates]] [[Category:Democratic Party (United States) vice presidential nominees]] [[Category:English Americans]] [[Category:North Carolina Democrats]] [[Category:North Carolina lawyers]] [[Category:North Carolina State University alumni]] [[Category:North Carolina writers]] [[Category:People from Raleigh, North Carolina]] [[Category:People from South Carolina]] [[Category:People from the Triangle, North 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