John Edwards
John Edwards (born 1953) is a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was born in Seneca, South Carolina. Edwards graduated from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.
Edwards is married and has had four children. In 1996, he lost a son in an automobile accident.
A Democrat, Edwards won election to the U.S. Senate in 1998 by defeating the favored incumbent Republican opponent, Lauch Faircloth.
Before his election, Edwards spent most of his career as a trial attorney representing families and children who had been wrongly injured by negligent manufacturers. He became very wealthy in this endeavor.
Edwards' skill as a trial attorney was evident during President Bill Clinton's 1999 Senate impeachment trial. Edwards played a critical role in the Senate proceedings that eventually ended in the President's acquittal.
During the 2000 Presidential campaign, Edwards made Vice President Al Gore's vice presidential nominee short list, and in November 2000, People magazine named Edwards as its choice for the "sexiest politician."
Edwards serves on several Senate committees, including the prestigious Intelligence and Judicial committees. In January 2003, Edwards announced his intention to seek the 2004 Democratic Presidential nomination.