WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry selected former rival John Edwards to be his running mate, telling supporters today he couldn't wait to see the freshman North Carolina senator going "toe-to-toe with Dick Cheney."

"In the next 120 days and in the administration that follows, John Edwards and I will be fighting for the America we love," Kerry said in an e-mail to supporters obtained by The Associated Press. "We'll be fighting to give the middle class a voice by providing good paying jobs and affordable health care. We'll be fighting to make America energy independent. We'll be fighting to build a strong military and lead strong alliances, so young Americans are never put in harm's way because we insisted on going it alone."

By selecting Edwards, Kerry went with the smooth-talking Southern populist over more seasoned politicians in hopes of injecting vigor and small-town appeal to the Democratic presidential ticket.

He offered Edwards the No. 2 spot on the Democratic ticket in a telephone call this morning, and the North Carolina senator accepted, said two senior Democrats familiar with the conversation.

Edwards was at his home in Georgetown when Kerry called, readying his two young children for summer camp. Kerry called from his Pittsburgh home.

He planned personally announce his pick at a rally in Pittsburgh. Edwards won't be at the rally. Obsessed with secrecy, Kerry kept his decision to himself until the last possible minute, giving Edwards no time to get to Pittsburgh in time.

The newly minted ticket will meet up later today and begin a multi-state tour, ending in Edwards's home state.

They will be nominated at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, which begins July 26.

Kerry's decision ended a search that began with about 25 candidates and a mandate to find a political soul mate who could "be ready at any moment" to assume the presidency. Kerry advisers said their boss had also signaled his interest in Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa, Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana and Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.

Edwards was the last major candidate standing against Kerry in the Democratic presidential race. He emerged as a favorite second choice of Democratic voters, thanks to his youthful good looks, a self-assured manner and an upbeat, optimistic style. He saved his harshest criticism for President Bush, who he accused of creating "two Americas" - one for the privileged, another for everyone else.

Some Democrats were concerned that Edwards, whose only political credential was a single term in the Senate, lacked the experience in international affairs, particularly in wartime, to be a credible candidate to assume the presidency in the case of death, resignation or removal.

Kerry privately complained to associates during the campaign that Edwards hadn't served long enough in the Senate to deserve a shot at the presidency. Aides said he was won over by his private meetings with Edwards, his performance as a campaign surrogate since the primary fight ended and pressure from Democratic leaders who pushed Edwards as a vice presidential pick.

Edwards seldom criticized Kerry or any of the other Democrats while running a generally positive campaign. The two had few major policy disagreements - both supported the decision to go to war in Iraq and both voted against the $87 billion package for Iraq and Afghanistan.

One division was over the North American Free Trade Agreement: Kerry voted for it, but Edwards campaigned against NAFTA, which the Senate approved before he was elected. Edwards made trade, jobs and the economy the centerpiece of his campaign, questioning Kerry's vote on NAFTA but not pledging to seek its repeal.

They also differed in some ways on how to approach some issues. Both called for rolling back the Bush tax cuts, but Kerry proposed eliminating the tax cuts for those who make more than $200,000 a year while Edwards set the ceiling at $240,000. Kerry voted against the ban on so-called "partial birth" abortion passed by Congress, but Edwards did not vote. A more clear-cut difference was Kerry's opposition to the death penalty and Edwards' support of it.

Kerry finished first and Edwards second in the Iowa caucuses in January, surprising front-runner Howard Dean and driving regional favorite Dick Gephardt out of the race. Dean finished second to Kerry in the New Hampshire primary, and as Dean lost the next dozen delegate contests, the race became a contest between Kerry and Edwards.