Claire was born and raised in North Dakota and holds a degree in Agriculture from North Dakota State University. His wife, Carol, grew up in Florida and has a degree in Speech Pathology from the University of Florida. They met in California while attending the Institute of Biblical Studies and were married in 1981. They have construction and manufacturing companies related to grain conditioning and storage. Claire was an elder at Community Baptist Church in Fargo, North Dakota, for 17 years before moving to Tennessee. They have raised four children adopted from North Dakota, India, and China.