John Kerry gained ground Friday in the Democratic presidential race with the promise of an endorsement by the AFL-CIO, the support of a former rival and fresh polls pointing toward victory in next week’s Wisconsin primary.

Even so, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards vowed to remain in the race “well into March,” and Howard Dean campaigned for votes from Wisconsin’s dairy farmers. They should be guaranteed a fixed price for their milk, he said, even if it costs consumers “a few pennies more for a gallon.”

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney scheduled a meeting of the federation’s general board for next Thursday “to officially endorse” Kerry, according to a memo.

AFL-CIO spokeswoman Lane Windham confirmed that Sweeney will recommend the move. “But we’re a democratic organization and it is ultimately up to the general board to decide who they will endorse,” Windham said.

The AFL-CIO, with a membership of 13 million, is one of the key pillars of the Democratic Party, and an endorsement of Kerry signals the group’s desire to unite behind a challenger to begin the campaign against President Bush this fall.

After winning 12 of 14 primaries and caucuses to date, Kerry is the runaway leader in the delegate chase. He has 540 in an AP count, to 182 for Dean and 166 for Edwards. It takes 2,161 to win the nomination. Another 24 pledged delegates are at stake in caucuses today in Nevada, 16 in the District of Columbia and 72 more Tuesday in Wisconsin.

With the polls showing Kerry well ahead in Wisconsin, the Massachusetts senator flew to Madison after a two-day rest from personal campaigning.

Wesley Clark greeted him, and the retired four-star Army general gave his endorsement to the Vietnam War-era Navy lieutenant.

“Sir, request permission to come aboard. The Army’s here,” said Clark, an Arkansas native who quit the race Wednesday after winning only one primary and trailing badly in the delegate chase.

“This is the first time in my life I’ve ever had the privilege of saying welcome aboard to a four-star general,” Kerry replied.

“Normally, back when I was wearing a uniform, my knees would have been quaking around a four-star.”

The Clark endorsement was a disappointment for Edwards, who had hoped to win the support of his fellow Southerner.

Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., salutes retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, a former political rival. Clark endorsed Kerry at a rally Friday in Madison, Wis., where residents will vote Tuesday in a presidential primary.