Senator John Edwards (D-NC)

Who Is He?: John Edwards was born June 10, 1953, in Seneca, South Carolina. His family later settled in North Carolina. He graduated from North Carolina State University and the law school at the University of North Carolina. Edwards had a lucrative career as a personal injury trial attorney before entering politics. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998 and began an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2003. Edwards did, however, win the Democratic nomination for Vice President on a ticket with Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.

International Experience: In the Senate, Edwards served on the Select Committee on Intelligence. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Edwards, along with former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jack Kemp, chair a task force on U.S.-Russia relations. In the Fall of 2006, he visited Uganda with the International Rescue Committee.

Foreign Policy Positions: John Edwards voted for the Iraq War resolution in 2002, but in November of 2005 he said this vote was a mistake. He has been cautious on free trade and often highlights the dangers of outsourcing American jobs. He advocates tough action to keep Russia on the road to democracy.

John Edward's Foreign Policy Statements:

• A New Strategy Against Terrorism, September 2007 speech
• To End Uganda's Nightmare, October 2006 opinion piece in the Washington Post
• The Transatlantic Partnership in an Age of Global Challenges, April 2006 speech at the Brussels Forum

Campaign Links:

• John Edwards' One America Committee
• John Edwards 2008 (unofficial)
• Candidate Profile, from the About Guide to Terrorism Issues

The Competition: Explore the foreign policy background of all major 2008 presidential candidates.