Lindsey Graham 2016: 5 Facts About Personal Life of Potential GOP Presidential Hopeful

Lindsey Graham has been a stalwart in South Carolina politics for decades, and the Republican has begun to put his name in national circles by communicating his desires to test the waters for the 2016 Republican nomination for the presidential election.

Here are five facts about the personal life of Lindsey Graham, a potential GOP presidential hopeful in 2016:

1. Graham’s parents died within 15 months of each other when Graham was a student at the University of South Carolina, (age 21 when his mom died first) and his sister was just 13 years old at that time. Graham spent his weekends with his sister while she lived with relatives, according to The State. He then became his sister’s legal guardian.

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2. Graham enrolled in the ROTC in 1973 and has been in the Air Force National Guard or the Reserves since that time. That has helped him land spots on the Senate Armed Forces Committee. According to The Huffington Post, Graham made a trip to Afghanistan in 2009; he wore a camouflaged uniform and was addressed by his military rank — colonel — during the visit.

3. Graham graduated from Daniel High School in South Carolina in 1973 and moved on to the University of South Carolina. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1977 and then earned a juris doctorate in 1981 from the university’s law school. He spent time working in private practice and as an assistant county attorney as well.

4. Graham’s life in elected office began with a stint as the city attorney in Central, South Carolina, from 1990 to 1994. He also served in the South Carolina state House of Representatives from 1992 to 1994. He was then elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and held his seat from 1995 to 2003. Graham was elected to the Senate in 2002 and was re-elected in 2008 and 2014.

5. Graham does not cook, and has admitted that he does not have much of any domestic knowledge. According to The New York Times, Graham “does not cook; it is widely believed by those close to him that he is incapable of manipulating a coffee machine, an oven, a toaster, or a can opener.” In the story, it was written that he had crackers for breakfast before a morning meeting with a confidant and a reporter.

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