John Edwards (D) Former Senator, NC Born: 06/10/1953 Birthplace: Seneca, SC Home: Raleigh, NC Religion: Methodist >> Website >> Forum >> Related Stories Coming Events

WASHINGTON - John Edwards says voters shouldn't throw him their support because his wife has cancer.

"Do not vote for us because you feel some sympathy or compassion for us. That would be an enormous mistake," Edwards told CBS' "60 Minutes" in an interview airing Sunday night. "The vote for the presidency is far too important for any of those things to influence it."

Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, who has been diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer, defended his decision to remain in the race. She said she couldn't live with denying him the chance to be president. Anticipating the demands of the campaign trail, Elizabeth Edwards said her options are clear. "Either you push forward with the things that you were doing yesterday or you start dying. That seems to be your only two choices," she said. "If I had given up everything that my life was about "" first of all, I'd let cancer win before it needed to."