John and Elizabeth Edwards on Katie Couric

Video Synopsis:

John and Elizabeth Edwards with Katie Couric: “60 Minutes Exclusive: Katie Couric sat down for an exclusive interview with the presidential candidate and his wife after the announcement of the recurrence of Elizabeth’s cancer. (CBSNews.com)”

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards was the running mate of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004. The son of a millworker, John Edwards earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina in 1977. As a trial lawyer, John Edwards became known as the attorney who fought for “the little guy” in litigation involving large corporations.

In 1998, John Edwards won the Senate race for North Carolina. He campaigned for the Presidential campaign in 2004, and his strong showing likely garnered him the Vice Presidential nomination. Because he ran for Vice President, he lost his Senate seat to Republican Richard Burr. John Edwards ran again for President in 2008, but withdrew in January after being unable to overcome Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

In October 2007, The National Enquirer began a series of reports alleging that John Edwards was having an affair. John Edwards initially denied the reports, but eventually admitted to having the affair. However, he denied fathering a child outside his marriage. Regardless, his political prospects were all but destroyed by the scandal.

Edwards married his wife Elizabeth (birth name Mary Elizabeth Anania) in 1977; she graduated from UNC’s law school the same year. Their four children are Wade (b. 1980), Cate (b. 1982), Emma Claire (b. 1998) and Jack (b. 2000). Their son Wade died at age 16 in a 1996 traffic accident.

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