WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Sen. John Edwards received a boost Friday when well-known abortion rights activist Kate Michelman told CNN she is backing the North Carolina Democrat's presidential bid.

"John has asked me to join in his effort to be president of the United States and I am proud to do so," Michelman, a Democratic political consultant, said in a telephone interview.

Michelman, who once headed NARAL Pro-Choice America, emphasized her close friendship and ideological kinship to the former senator and his wife, Elizabeth.

"I am devoted to his vision and mission for this country and devoted to his commitment to women in the broader sense," she said. "Not only women's reproductive rights, but to enhancing the roles of women and the conditions of women's lives on every level."

Michelman's endorsement could help Edwards with abortion rights supporters in what is expected to be a crowded Democratic presidential primary. News that Michelman was expected to endorse Edwards was first reported Friday in The Wall Street Journal.

-- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston