Congressman Andrew Clyde is a combat veteran, small business owner, and a proud Georgian. After earning his commission from the University of Notre Dame, he served as an U.S. Navy officer for 28 years, which included three combat deployments to Kuwait and Iraq. After receiving an honorable discharge, Congressman Clyde made his home in Athens, Georgia and earned a master’s degree in Corporate Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Georgia. He established Clyde Armory in 1991 and grew the company into a nationwide firearms business which currently operates two brick-and-mortar locations in Georgia. Congressman Clyde was elected to the 117th Congress in November 2020 as the representative for Georgia’s Ninth Congressional District. He currently serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Homeland Security Committee. The Congressman and his wife, Jennifer, are residents of Jackson County.
Small businesses are the primary drivers of economic activity in communities across the country, and as a small businessman by trade, I know that to be true in Georgia's 9th Congressional District. When it comes to business operations and the government, I believe that government should work to support all businesses and entrepreneurs by guaranteeing level playing fields on which to operate and compete freely on. Unfortunately, the government tends to make doing business harder than it should be, which I can personally attest to when the federal government attempted to seize nearly $1 million from my company a few years back. While I successfully fought the government's egregious overreach, there are unfortunately too many businesses that succumb to the bureaucratic red tape and threats from federal agents ultimately driving them out of business. That's wrong and the government should never thwart and close businesses, it should instead enable and support them.
That's why I plan to look for opportunities in Congress to right-size the federal government and re-align its operations within the bounds of the U.S. Constitution, as was intended by our nation's Founding Fathers. As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, I will have a front row seat to examine the federal government's footprint to root out fraud, waste, and abuse. I wholeheartedly believe the government should work for the people, not against the people, and I am committed to ensuring just that while serving in Congress.
Andrew's career in the Navy began after he earned his commission as an officer from the University of Notre Dame. He then spent the next 28 years of his life in service to our country including three combat deployments to Kuwait and Iraq. During his service, he earned a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, four Navy Commendation Medals, a Navy Achievement Medal, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal w/Marine Corps Combat Operations Insignia, Iraq Campaign Medal, Expert Rifleman Medal, Expert Pistol Shot Medal, and multiple other medals.
After completing his active military service, Andrew homesteaded in Athens and decided to pursue a master’s degree from UGA in Corporate Finance and Entrepreneurship. In 1991 he started a small firearms business called Clyde Armory. What started as a hobby business in his garage has grown into a nationwide company with two brick-and-mortar locations here in Georgia. As a veteran turned small business owner, Andrew was truly living the American dream.