Motivations for Public Service

John Edwards’s motivation to run for office stems from many factors. A son of a textile mill floor worker, Edwards was the first in his family to attend college. He attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he met his wife Elizabeth. They had their first of four children, Wade, in 1979. Tragically, Wade died in a car accident in 1996, prompting John and Elizabeth to establish the Wade Edwards Foundation- a nonprofit organization supporting young people “in the pursuit of excellence”. Wade’s death would later serve as impetus for the removal of Edwards from the private sector.

Following law school Edwards clerked for a Federal Judge and then joined various law firms where he began his impressive career as a trial advocacy lawyer. It was there that he seemed to find his calling for public service. He took on large corporations and insurance companies, winning cases many viewed as impossible from the outset. In 1997 Edwards won a particularly notable product liability lawsuit against Sta-Rite, the manufacturer of a defective pool drain cover. The case involved a three-year-old girl who was disemboweled by the suction power of the pool drain pump and despite 12 similar claims and prior lawsuits; Sta-Rite continued to manufacture and sell drain covers. During his closing arguments, Edwards spoke to the jury for an hour and a half, making reference to his son Wade who had died shortly before. Mark Dayton, editor of North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, refer to it as "the most impressive legal performance I have ever seen." The jury decided that the family of the young girl should receive $25 million, the largest personal injury award in the history of North Carolina. It was this case and others like it, coupled with the death of his son who Edwards originally planned would join him in private practice, which encouraged him to abandon his law career and seek public office.

Edwards was elected to the United States Senate in 1998, and was said to be one of those considered as Al Gore’s running mate in 2000. In 2004 he made a presidential bid of his own, though it has been noted that he began “campaigning” for presidency since his election into the Senate. Edwards has since spoke of two Americas, one of the wealthy and privileged and one of the common working man. In 2004, when it appeared that Kerry would win the nomination, Edwards dropped out of the race and was awarded with the opportunity to be Kerry’s running mate. They lost in 2004, and shortly afterward Edwards announced that his wife, Elizabeth, had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

John Edwards then threw himself into the championing of causes such as poverty and universal heath care. He spent the time prior to his current election bid of 2008 shoring up his stance on such issues and building support. His family history provides an insight into what drives him to public service and the intensity which he feels for the issues and the country are visible. Edwards ultimately was motivated to run in order to unite the “two Americas”, which he speaks so passionately about, on a more even playing field. Though his presidential bid was again unsuccessful, his detailed stance on policy have left many saying that he has directed the democratic platform and consequently encouraged his peers, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to come up with more specific proposals for such issues as universal heath care and the war in Iraq.

-Stephanie Zimmerman