U.S. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has chosen Senator John Edwards of North Carolina as his running mate.

A senior Democratic official said Kerry and Edwards sealed their political marriage during a 15-minute, early-morning telephone conversation on Tuesday.

Kerry revealed his selection of his running mate on Tuesday before a crowd of supporters in Pittsburgh who shouted their consent while waving "Kerry-Edwards" placards.

According to the Associated Press, the selection of the 51-year-old smooth-talking Southern populist over more seasoned Washington politicians is apparently aimed at injecting vigor and small-town appeal into the Democratic ticket.