FACTBOX: Edwards ends his second campaign for president

(Reuters) - Democrat John Edwards dropped out of the White House race on Wednesday after failing to win any of the early state nominating contests, including one in his native South Carolina.

Following are five facts about the former North Carolina senator, who fashioned himself as an anti-war candidate and champion of workers and the poor against Republican policies that he said favored the rich and corporate America.

* The boyish-looking 54-year-old was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004, running with presidential nominee John Kerry. He was credited with bringing energy and charisma to his party's bid to unseat President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

* The son of a textile worker and the first person in his family to attend college, Edwards became a millionaire personal injury lawyer known for winning rich damage awards from corporations and hospitals.

* Edwards, who would later be criticized by political opponents for paying $400 for a haircut, was named sexiest U.S. politician by People magazine in 2000.

* This year, he edged out rival Hillary Clinton to come in second in the Iowa caucuses, but placed third in subsequent races in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

* His wife, Elizabeth, is being treated for a recurrence of cancer; They have three children. A teenage son died in a car crash in 1996.

(Reporting by David Morgan, Editing by Stacey Joyce)