The Truth About Lindsey Graham's Bachelor Lifestyle And Why He Never Married

Lindsey Graham didn't have much luck in his love life. The senator from South Carolina has remained a single man throughout the entirety of his time as a public figure. But it wasn't by design. Graham has indicated that he would have liked to have been a husband, but he just never found the one. "The opportunity never presented itself at the right time, or I never found time to meet the right girl, or the right girl was smart enough not to have time for me," he wrote in his 2015 memoir, "My Story" (via Politico).

His most significant relationships happened in his 20s when he was stationed in Germany during his Air Force days. The first was a lawyer and JAG officer, whom he referred to only as Carol. The second was a Lufthansa flight attendant from Austria named Sylvia, to whom he got close to proposing. Ultimately, their different backgrounds got in the way of their future and put an end to their year-long courtship. "Her mother was elderly, and I wasn't going to stay in Germany. I didn't think she wanted to come back to South Carolina," he told GoUpstate in 2015.

After that, Graham largely embraced his bachelorhood, becoming a sort of spokesperson for the lifestyle when he launched his bid for the 2016 presidency. "I'm going to be a ready-to-go commander in chief, protect everybody, single people included," he said during an appearance on "Face the Nation" in 2015. But Graham's many explanations could never stop the interest and speculation about his personal life.

Lindsey Graham may have written a book to explain the reasons he never got married, but some people were still not satisfied. Despite his many attempts to deny speculation that he is gay, Graham could never stop the rumors about his sexuality. Regardless of what Laura Loomer or Chelsea Handler may believe, the official story about Graham's unmarried status is that he simply never found a suitable partner. But he always emphasized that being single didn't equate to not having a family.

Graham considers himself a family man, being particularly close with his sister, Darline Nordone (seen above in blue), and her family. In fact, the senator helped raise Nordone, who was only 13 when their parents died within a little over a year of each other. Graham was 22. "Lindsey assured me that he was going to take care of me, he was going to be there for me. He never let me down. Never," she told The State in 2014. "I don't see how he did it, to take on the responsibility of raising a little sister."

Graham and Nordone's bond remained tight to the point where he suggested she could be first lady should he win the presidency. "Well, I've got a sister, she could play that role if necessary," he joked in a 2015 interview with the Daily Mail. "I've got a lot of friends. We'll have a rotating first lady." That obviously didn't happen, but it illustrates how much faith he has in Nordone.