Republican · Georgia's 12th District · 2026
Rick Allen
Allen, the son of a farmer, studied building construction at Auburn and started his own construction company at 25.
Biography
Rick Allen and his wife, Robin, have been married for more than fifty years, raised four children in Augusta and now have fourteen grandchildren and a great grandchild.1 The son of a farmer, he remains active at Trinity on the Hill Global Methodist Church.1
Allen studied building construction at Auburn University and founded R.W. Allen & Associates at 25.1 He built his career in construction before winning election to Congress in 2014.1 His local recognition includes the Augusta Metro Chamber's Small Business Person of the Year award and induction into the CSRA Business Hall of Fame.1 His community experience also included the first Leadership Augusta class in 1980.1
His congressional work now spans Energy and Commerce and Education and the Workforce.2 He chairs the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions and is vice chair of Communications and Technology, giving him responsibilities involving employee benefits, labor relations, telecommunications and public safety communications.2 He also spent eight years on the Agriculture Committee.1
Allen faces Democrat Ceretta Smith in Georgia's 12th District.3 The Republican advocates lower taxes, fewer regulatory burdens and policies favoring private business investment and manufacturing.4 He also highlights agriculture's importance to rural communities, including crop insurance, farm credit, research and rural development programs.5
Record and controversies
Late stock trade disclosures
The AJC reported that Allen's August 10, 2023, financial disclosures included dozens of stock transactions reported months or years late, along with corrections to earlier reports.6 His office said investment managers made trades without his direct input and blamed reporting omissions on a compliance firm he replaced after learning of problems that May.6 It said he hired counsel and a new firm and worked with the House Ethics Committee to correct the disclosures.6 The documented concern is delayed reporting, not an established finding of insider trading; the article does not report a final disciplinary penalty.6