North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has been picked as the running mate for Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry.
"I can't tell you how proud I am to have John Edwards on my team, or how eager I am for the day this fall when he stands up for our vision and goes toe-to-toe with Dick Cheney," Kerry said.
Edwards, 51, met with Kerry last week in Washington after calling short a family visit to Disney World in Florida.
While Kerry is perceived as something of an East Coast blue blood, Edwards – who was Kerry?s chief rival in the
Democratic primaries – is
considered a populist from the South. The former lawyer is also known as an energetic vote-getter and has been compared to Bill Clinton in his dynamic speaking ability.
Announcing his selection of Edwards at a rally in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Kerry
told a cheering crowd: "I have chosen a man ... who has shown guts,
determination and political skill in his own race for the presidency."
Other contenders were believed to be Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt, who has been a presidential candidate in the past, and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. Dark horses were Florida Sen. Bill Graham, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The Democratic convention is slated for July 26 in Boston. The Republicans, whose candidates are expected to be incumbents George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, will convene a month later in New York.
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