The Washington Post endorsed Senator John Kerry for president in its Sunday edition, saying the Democratic candidate had wisdom and open-mindedness that made him a stronger candidate to lead the United States than President George W. Bush.
Ten days before the election, the Massachusetts Democrat now leads Mr Bush 66 to 57 in newspaper endorsements, according to the trade publication Editor and Publisher.
Papers endorsing Mr Kerry, including the New York Times, have a combined circulation of 10.6 million readers, compared to a combined circulation of 6.6 million for papers endorsing Mr Bush, Editor and Publisher said.
Mr Kerry also picked up an endorsement in the Sunday edition of the Chicago Sun-Times, a major regional paper near Midwestern battleground states, Editor and Publisher said.
Chicago's other daily, the Tribune, has endorsed Mr Bush.
The Washington Post, one of the most influential US papers, said Mr Kerry would manage the federal budget more responsibly and would better protect health care, the environment and civil liberties. He understands foreign threats and would do a better job of nation-building in Iraq, it said.
The Post's editorial page has supported Mr Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq, but said he did not adequately prepare for reconstruction. At home, Mr Bush has governed as a heavy-handed Republican partisan and promoted tax cuts at the expense of fiscal health, the Post said.