MANCHESTER, N.H. — Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards took his third-place New Hampshire finish in stride, pledging to carry his battle forward despite difficult odds. "I am in this race until the convention," he told supporters.

Edwards had campaigned on a message of ridding Washington of special-interest corruption, and he made clear that despite finishing well behind his two main rivals he would not change course as the race heads toward "Super Tuesday" next month.

"I am in this race until we have actually restored the American dream and strengthened and restored the middle class in America," he said.

Edwards had 17 percent of the vote, compared to 39 percent for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and 37 percent for Sen. Barack Obama. Edwards, a former North Carolina senator and 2004 Democratic vice presidential contender, finished second in Iowa's Democratic caucuses last week.

"Two races down, 48 states left to go," he said.

Edwards offered his congratulations to Clinton and Obama, but insisted that "I intend to be the nominee of my party."

"Up until now, about half of 1 percent of Americans have voted. Ninety-nine percent plus have not voted. And those 99 percent deserve to have their voices heard because we have had too much in America of people's voices not being heard," Edwards said.

His wife, Elizabeth, who spoke before Edwards, said, "This day, we have taken steps. Not as big steps as we wanted. But ones of which we're enormously proud."

"You never get anything if you don't work for it," she said.

Edwards campaigned long and hard in the state in the days before Tuesday's primary, up one side of New Hampshire and down the other, including a 36-hour stint over the weekend.

As Obama surged in the polls, Edwards offered a blend of change and experience.

"I do think it's likely that as we go forward that all of us, particularly Senator Obama, will be looked at very carefully by voters," he said in an interview earlier Tuesday with The Associated Press.

"With all of the sort of gauziness, it's sort of like a first date in a lot of ways with these candidates," Elizabeth Edwards said. "At some point people recognize that 'I'm not going on a first date with this fellow, I'm marrying them."'

She said voters may regret not applying such tough scrutiny to George W. Bush eight years ago.

"People said, 'Is this the guy you want to have a beer with,' and look what happens," Mrs. Edwards said. "Maybe we need to take a more in-depth view of what it is you're buying."

In 2004, Edwards won the South Carolina primary, but he faces tougher odds in this year's contest on Jan. 26. He trails both Obama and Clinton in polls.