FAMILY: Married to Elizabeth Edwards since 1977. Their first son, Wade, was killed in a car accident in 1996. The couple have three other children.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, North Carolina State University, 1974; law degree, University of North Carolina, 1977

EXPERIENCE: Successful personal-injury lawyer, 1977-1998; U.S. senator from North Carolina, 1999-2005; director of a poverty think tank, 2005-2006; consultant to a hedge fund, 2005-2006

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW: People magazine in 2000 named Edwards the "sexiest politician alive."

CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL WEB SITE WWW.JOHNEDWARDS.COM

CHOICE TO RUN:

Edwards is on a crusade against poverty and inequality in America. He says he wants to fight the corporate interests that have too much power in Washington.

MAJOR THEMES:

Edwards' famous speech on the "Two Americas" -- one for the rich and one for the poor -- has evolved into a new slogan, "America Rising." He emphasizes his rural roots and appeals to working-class voters, especially union members.

IN NEVADA:

Has spent 19 days in the state, second only to Bill Richardson among all the candidates, and opened two offices. Has strong support from Northern Nevada legislators and is endorsed by unions with more than 30,000 members.

IN THE POLLS

NATIONALLY

Edwards generally comes in third in national Democratic polling, earning between 10 percent and 20 percent of the vote. He has staked his campaign on a strong showing in Iowa, where he has spent much of the past four years building support and remains in a near-tie with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. NEVADA

Nevada polls have generally put Edwards between 10 percent and 20 percent, but the campaign believes its union supporters will turn up in disproportionate numbers and tilt the caucus his way.

POSITIONS

WAR/NATIONAL SECURITY

Edwards voted to authorize the Iraq war, but has apologized for his vote and believes he should be given credit for honesty. From his comfortable perch outside the building, he has criticized the Democratic Senate for not doing more to end the war. He has called the "war on terror" a "bumper sticker."

HEALTH CARE

Edwards was the first major candidate to produce a detailed proposal for universal health care. He says he is leveling with the American people by acknowledging that tax increases will be required to get it done; he would raise taxes on people making more than $200,000 a year. Edwards' plan allows people to choose between private insurance plans and a government-run, Medicare-style program in buying mandatory health coverage.

IMMIGRATION

Like most Democrats, Edwards supports a comprehensive approach to immigration that would secure the borders while helping existing illegal immigrants achieve legal status.

NEVADA ISSUES

Edwards voted for the nuclear waste dump at Nevada's Yucca Mountain while in the Senate, but now says he opposes the project. Edwards says he is now better than his rivals on this issue because he rejects any expansion of nuclear energy.

ENERGY

To combat global warming, Edwards proposes a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the cap annually, while subsidizing new sources of energy that are clean and create new jobs.

TAXES

Edwards would raise taxes and isn't afraid to say so. He says candidates who claim they can create big new programs without new revenue are being disingenuous.

CRITICS

Many of Edwards' current positions are more liberal than when he ran in 2004. For example, during that run he opposed universal health care. His populism has led some to portray him as angry and divisive. Expensive haircuts, a lavish lifestyle and a lucrative consulting gig have opened him to charges he's not such a man of the people. Republicans, meanwhile, portray him as an ambulance-chasing trial lawyer.