Edwards, John (1953- ), Democratic member of the United States Senate from North Carolina (1999- ). Edwards was born in Seneca, South Carolina, and at an early age moved with his family to Robbins, North Carolina. In 1974 he received a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University, in Raleigh, and in 1977 received a law degree from the University of North Carolina Law School, in Chapel Hill. He worked in a Raleigh law office before opening his own law firm in 1992. Specializing in personal injury lawsuits, Edwards's firm won a public service award in 1997 from the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
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Edwards's first bid for elected office was his 1998 try for the U.S. Senate. In that hard-fought election, Edwards defeated Republican incumbent Lauch Faircloth by the narrow margin of 51 percent to 47 percent of the vote.