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Edwards unseats Faircloth in tight North Carolina race
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In his victory speech, Edwards of North Carolina said,
"It is a great, great honor for me to be able to try to stand in his (Faircloth's) shoes"
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(AllPolitics, November 3) -- Democratic challenger John Edwards upset incumbent Republican Sen. Lauch Faircloth in North Carolina on Tuesday.
Edwards, a wealthy trial lawyer, had pressured the first-term senator throughout the last weeks of the race.
Faircloth, 70, was elected in 1992, after a career as a farmer and businessman and a stint on the North Carolina Highway Commission. A longtime Democrat, he switched parties and ran as a Republican and ally of the state's other senator, Jesse Helms.
The seat held by Faircloth has had five occupants in the past 18 years. Republicans initially were relieved when first the state attorney general and then a wealthy businessman who had run before decided against making an election bid in 1998.
But the celebration was short-lived when Edwards, 45, jumped into the race. Edwards, who defeated two primary-election opponents, brought personal wealth, good looks and moderate rhetoric to the campaign. Maybe just as important, Edwards, who doesn't take political action committee (PAC) money, had a united Democratic party in his corner.
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Conceding defeat, Faircloth of North Carolina tells supporters, "I feel that I let you down ... because we should have won"
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In a last-minute shakeup, Faircloth fired his campaign consultant and hired GOP pollster Art Finkelstein, known for ads that blast Democrats as out-of-touch liberals.
Faircloth hammered away at Edwards' ties to the trial-lawyer community, suggesting that the challenger has been hypocritical by saying he doesn't accept "special interest" money (PAC funds), while he accepts donations from trial lawyers.
Faircloth also attacked Edwards for being too liberal, and in his most recent TV ads, tried to tie Edwards to President Bill Clinton.
Edwards complained that Faircloth's campaign has been too negative, and criticized the GOP incumbent for failing to agree to debates. Democratic Party ads criticized Faircloth's attendance record, as well as his record on Social Security and Medicare.
Political analyst Stuart Rothenberg contributed to this report.
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