Democratic Senator-elect John Edwards (N.C.) and his 6-month-old daughter Emma Claire greet supporters in Raleigh. (AP)

Tuesday, November 3, 1998; 10:22 p.m. EST

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A wealthy lawyer who refused to take money from political action committees in his first run for office defeated Republican Sen. Lauch Faircloth on Tuesday.

With 77 percent of precincts reporting, Democrat John Edwards had 784,391 votes, or 51 percent, while Faircloth had 717,795 votes, or 47 percent.

Edwards, 45, who has made millions suing insurers and hospitals, campaigned as a champion of the downtrodden and played up his refusal of PAC money.

Faircloth was looking for a second term, having beaten incumbent Democrat Terry Sanford, a former political ally, in 1992.

The 70-year-old farmer and businessman brought in Republican political heavyweights from Charlton Heston to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott in an attempt to hang on.

The race became bitter during the waning days, with Faircloth accusing Edwards of being a ``Clinton clone'' and claiming the Democrat would join the president in increasing the tax on tobacco.

Edwards rarely talked about Faircloth on the stump, and his ads largely focused on his background and his family. The state Democratic Party, however, attacked Faircloth on everything from voting to cut Social Security to being an environment-wrecking hog farmer.