John Edwards leaves Democratic presidential race

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

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John Edwards announced his decision to withdrawl from the Democratic presidential race Wednesday afternoon.

(CNN) -- Former Sen. John Edwards dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Edwards announced his decision during a speech Wednesday afternoon in New Orleans, Louisiana.

New Orleans is the same city in which he declared his run to be the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee.

Edwards' campaign Web site said he was to deliver an address on poverty and work on a Habitat for Humanity project in New Orleans Wednesday.

Edwards has trailed former first lady Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in the early primaries, including a third-place finish in Tuesday's Florida primary, with 14 percent of the votes. He also came in third in key races in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

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An Edwards aide said that he does not plan to endorse either Clinton or Obama at this time, but he may do so in the future.

Another Edwards aide said he is not dropping out of the race due to his wife's health. Elizabeth Edwards announced last year her breast cancer had returned. Edwards ran as a Washington outsider, although he was John Kerry's running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket in 2004.

In a reaction to President Bush's State of the Union address Monday, Edwards said, "The truth is that Washington is out of touch with what's happening across the country. Between now and January of 2009, Democrats must stand up to this president, stand up for what's right, so he does not continue to forget about the middle class in this country."

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