DAVENPORT - U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley said Sunday that he'll endorse John Edwards for president. He was to officially announce the decision today in Waterloo.

Edwards had a campaign appearance scheduled for noon at Hawkeye Community College.

Braley, a freshman lawmaker from the 1st District, said he is impressed with the field of Democrats running for the nomination, but that Edwards is most likely to change America.

"John Edwards has always fought for people who don't have a voice to speak for themselves," Braley said in an interview with Courier Lee News Service on Sunday.

Braley supported Edwards four years ago, too.

The former North Carolina senator is locked in a three-way battle in Iowa with Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Clinton, D-New York. The state is considered a pivotal one for him.

"As a well known and highly respected figure in the Democratic Party, Congressman Braley's support and active involvement is another sign of John Edwards' growing momentum in Iowa," Dan Leistikow, an Edwards spokesman, said Sunday.

The endorsement comes as a new Des Moines Register poll states Edwards is in third place in Iowa, albeit close behind Obama and Clinton.

A congressman's endorsement, while important, doesn't bring with it the kind of organizational network union backing does. Even Braley downplayed the influence he might have on the electorate.

Still, Braley is popular among Democrats in the 12-county 1st District, and he said he is willing to campaign for Edwards or help organize for him.

Braley is the first Democrat in Iowa's congressional delegation to endorse a candidate, and he's been courted for his support.

Last month, Clinton, Obama and Edwards all were headliners at the congressman's annual barbecue fundraising event, which was extended to three separate weekends. He also got their assistance in his high-profile race against Republican Mike Whalen last year.

Braley said Edwards' potential to appeal to states all over the country, as well as his positions on health care, the war in Iraq and poverty, all played a role in his decision to endorse him.

"He has consistently scored high in terms of getting out with ideas early," Braley said. And he noted much of his district is rural, and that is an area Edwards has given attention to. "I think a lot of people in rural America think they've been left out," he said.

Contact Ed Tibbetts at (563) 383-2327 or etibbetts@qctimes.com.