Senate liaison and second marriage
Interview with McCain on
April 24,
1974, after his return home.
In 1976, McCain briefly thought of running for the
U.S. House of Representatives from Florida.
[53] Instead, based upon the recommendation of Admiral
James L. Holloway III,
[49] in 1977 McCain became the Navy's liaison to the
U.S. Senate.
[53] Returning to the
Washington, D.C. area, McCain soon became the leader of the
Russell Senate Office Building liaison operation, and would later say it represented "[my] real entry into the world of politics and the beginning of my second career as a public servant."
[49] McCain was influenced by senators of both parties, and especially by a strong bond with Republican Senator
John Tower of Texas, ranking member of the
Senate Armed Services Committee.
[49] McCain was still living with his wife, although they had had one separation during this time.
[50]
In 1979, while attending a military reception in
Hawaii, McCain met and fell in love with
Cindy Lou Hensley, 17 years his junior, a teacher from
Phoenix, Arizona who was the daughter of James Willis Hensley, a wealthy
Anheuser-Busch distributor and wife Marguerite Smith.
[52] By now it was clear that McCain's naval career was stalled; he would never be promoted to admiral as his grandfather and father had been.
[50] McCain filed for and obtained an uncontested divorce from his wife Carol in
Florida on
April 2,
1980;
[20] he gave her a generous settlement, including houses in
Virginia and
Florida and financial support for her ongoing medical treatments, and they would remain on good terms.
[52] McCain and Hensley were married on
May 17,
1980[14] in Phoenix, Arizona, with Senators
William Cohen and
Gary Hart as best man and groomsman.
[52] McCain's children felt upset with him and did not attend the wedding,
[50] but after several years they reconciled with him and Cindy.
[50][22]
McCain retired from the Navy in 1981 as a
Captain.
[12] During his military career, he received a
Silver Star, a
Bronze Star, the
Legion of Merit, the
Purple Heart, and a
Distinguished Flying Cross.
[54]
Political career