Kerry is expected to announce this at a rally in Pennsylvania later today, but will have to formally nominate Edwards---who fought against him for the presidential nomination--at the Democratic National Convention at the end of July.

According to The New York Times, Kerry called Edwards this morning to offer him the job.  In an e-mail to supporters, Kerry said:  "In just a few minutes, I will announce that Senator John Edwards will join me as my running-mate on the Democratic ticket as a candidate for vice president of the United States."

In making the decision, the Times said, 'Mr. Kerry chose a relatively new face to American politics, and a man who was Mr. Kerry's longest-lasting major rival in the Democratic presidential contest. Mr. Edwards is a first-term senator from North Carolina who stayed in the Democratic primary through the first week of March.'

According to the BBC, Senator Edwards was the favourite among the Democratic grassroots, and his southern, more socially conservative politics may help offset Mr Kerry's north-eastern liberal image.

Other contenders for the vice-presidential nomination included Dick Gephardt, who is known to be close to Kerry, Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa, Senator Bob Graham of Florida, retired General Wesley Clark, Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana and Senator Joe Biden of Delaware.

According to some reports, Kerry's campaign aides had printed dozens of placards for the Pittsburgh rally today, some reading "Kerry-Edwards" and e others reading "Kerry-Vilsack" or "Kerry-Gephardt".

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