Republican · Georgia's 9th District · 2026
Andrew Clyde
Clyde spent 28 years in the Navy and Reserve, including deployments to Kuwait and Iraq.
Biography
Andrew Clyde's firearms company began as a hobby business in his garage in 1991, according to his campaign biography.1 In congressional testimony, he recalled working as its only employee until 2002, when he made his first full time hire.2 It grew into Clyde Armory, a nationwide business with two Georgia stores.3 He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Jackson County.3
Clyde served for 28 years as a Navy officer after receiving his commission through Notre Dame, including three combat deployments to Kuwait and Iraq.3 He later earned a master's degree in corporate finance and entrepreneurship at the University of Georgia.3 First elected in 2020, he serves on the House Appropriations and Budget committees.3
Before holding office, Clyde testified to Congress about an IRS seizure of his business funds and a settlement in which he forfeited $50,000.2 He advocated asset forfeiture safeguards later included in the 2019 Taxpayer First Act, restricting IRS seizures over alleged deposit structuring to funds linked to illegal sources or concealment of other crimes.14
The Republican faces Democrat Caitlyn Gegen for Georgia's 9th District seat.5 His campaign favors a national FairTax system, smaller federal government, gun rights and opposition to abortion, and calls for eliminating the federal Education Department and Environmental Protection Agency.1
Record and controversies
House fines and an ethics complaint
Clyde's appeal of seven House mask fines failed to win an Ethics Committee majority in 2022.67 He argued that the Speaker changed the policy without a House vote and that salary deductions violated the 27th Amendment.7 Separately, he challenged $15,000 in security screening fines as unconstitutional and selectively enforced.89 The district court dismissed that lawsuit in 2022 because legislative immunity barred the claims, rather than deciding the merits of his constitutional objections.9
CREW filed an ethics complaint in August 2023 alleging that Clyde's sponsorship and advocacy of firearms legislation improperly benefited his gun business, including its sales of pistol braces.1011 The AJC reported that his office did not provide a response to that complaint.11 A complaint is not an official finding, and no public final decision or announced investigation into it could be found.