New York, NY —

Former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards headlined two fundraisers for fellow Democrat Fernando Ferrer last night. He also spoke to members of 1199, the powerful healthcare workers union that has endorsed Ferrer. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports.

REPORTER: Edwards was greeted like a celebrity by delegates of the healthcare workers union, many of whom worked on his 2004 campaign. The former North Carolina Senator focused his speech on the struggles of the working poor. He accused Mayor Bloomberg of not taking health care for the poor more seriously and of underestimating the number of people who work for minimum wage.

Edwards said both he and Ferrer came from modest backgrounds, were lucky and had opportunities:

EDWARDS: We don't want to pull the ladder up behind us we want others to have the same kinds of chances we've had. That's what America needs. It what New York needs.

REPORTER: Edwards is the second national Democrat to try to drum up support for Ferrer. Howard Dean has visited the city twice.

The Bloomberg campaign defended the mayor's record on poverty and said he fought to raise the minimum wage and increased the number of new yorkers receiving public health insurance.