John Edwards for President 2004 Campaign Brochure

‘America works best when it works for all of us.’

“I still believe in America, the son of a mill worker can go toe-to-toe with the son

of a President.” - U.S. Senator John Edwards

Tax Reform to Reward Work.

Edwards believes in creating opportunity for all middle class families. That means a millionaire should not pay lower taxes on unearned income than a nurse pays for working overtime. While restoring fiscal discipline, Edwards will offer tax breaks to help working families own a piece of the rock—buy a home, save for retirement, or invest in stocks.

Good Jobs at Home.

America has lost more than 2 million manufacturing jobs under George Bush. Edwards will create good jobs—negotiating only fair trade deals, closing loopholes for companies moving headquarters overseas, and creating tax breaks for companies that manufacture in America.

A Strong America.

Edwards believes that American families are safer at home when we are respected abroad. He will lead by working with our closest allies to solve the world’s toughest problems. He will create a global coalition to fight terrorism and combat weapons of mass destruction, promote democracy and freedom, and revitalize international institutions that make America stronger.

An America that is Safer and More Free.

To track down terrorists within our borders, Edwards supports a new homeland intelligence agency. To protect basic freedoms that this administration has undercut, he will establish strong safeguards for our liberties that are missing today.

Health Care for Every Child.

Edwards proposes that for the first time in history, America should require health insurance for every child. His plan provides tax credits to help families with rising premiums so everyone will have access to affordable health care. To bring down healthcare costs, he will take on insurance companies, drug companies, and HMO’s.

College for Everyone.

As the first in his family to go to college, Edwards wants to make sure every young person has the same opportunity. Edwards will say to America’s young people: we will pay for your first year of college tuition at a public university or community college, if you will do your part in school and work at least 10 hours a week.

A New Deal for Teachers.

Because a great education starts with a great teacher, Edwards will  increase teacher pay, especially in the areas that need good teachers most, and he will offer scholarships for young people who commit to tough teaching assignments.

An Agenda for Rural America.

 While many in Washington just fly over rural America to get from one coast to the other, Edwards comes from rural America, and he offers real help for rural America—investing capital, introducing technology, and protecting the environment.

Fueling America’s Future.

Edwards will set up new factories to convert agricultural waste, like corn stalks and wood chips, into energy products. These factories will create manufacturing jobs and reduce our reliance on foreign oil.

Worker and Shareholder Bill of Rights.

Some CEOs have lined their own pockets while workers lost their jobs and families lost their savings.

Edwards will require honest accounting, and ensure pension fairness for ordinary workers.

Relief for Working Parents.

Today, parents are working longer hours and spending less time with their children.

Edwards will offer relief to those families. He will offer a family leave tax credit so parents with newborns can afford to spend time with their children, and provide afterschool opportunities so children have safe, nourishing places to go.

Get to know John Edwards

Small town roots. A lifetime of standing up for American values.

John Edwards was born in Seneca, South Carolina and raised in Robbins, North Carolina, a small town in the Piedmont. There John learned the values of hard work and perseverance from his father, Wallace, who worked in the textile mills for 36 years, and from his mother, Bobbie, who ran a shop and worked at the post office. Working alongside his father at the mill, John developed his strong belief that all Americans deserve an equal opportunity to succeed and be heard.

A proud product of public schools, John became the first person in his family to attend college. He worked his way through North Carolina State University where he graduated with high honors in 1974, and then earned a law degree with honors in 1977 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

For the next 20 years, John dedicated his career to representing families and children hurt by the negligence of others. Standing up against the powerful insurance industry and their armies of lawyers, John helped these families through the darkest moments of their lives to overcome tremendous challenges. His passionate advocacy for people like the folks who worked in the mill with his father earned him respect and recognition across the country.

In 1998, John took this commitment into politics to give a voice in the United States Senate to the people he had represented throughout his career. He ran for the Senate and won, defeating an incumbent Senator.

In Congress, Senator Edwards quickly emerged as a champion for the issues that make a difference to American families: quality health care, better schools, protecting civil liberties, preserving the environment, saving Social Security and Medicare, and reforming the ways campaigns are financed.

As a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Edwards has worked tirelessly for a strong national defense and to strengthen the security of our homeland. He has authored key pieces of legislation on cyber, bio, and port security.

Senator Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, whom he met when both were law students at Chapel Hill, were married in 1977. They have had four children, including: their eldest daughter, Catharine, a student at Princeton University; five-year-old Emma Claire, and a three-year-old son, Jack. Their first child, Wade, died in 1996