Matt Keelen
Founder & President, The Keelen Group
Matt Keelen is a widely known and highly regarded lobbyist and political strategist with over 20 years experience building relationships with key figures and a reputation for consistently delivering hard-earned victories. Keelen’s ability to effectively navigate the landscape between legislative policy and political reality has made him a respected and sought after voice, not only in Washington D.C. but around the country. Currently there are over 50 members serving in the House and Senate that Keelen assisted in getting to Washington. His political commentary has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, and Roll Call and led to appearances on such national programs as “The Kudlow Report,” “Fox and Friends,” “The Rush Limbaugh Show,” “The John Gibson Show,” as well as countless political radio shows.
Matt Keelen is a Managing Principal at the Vogel Group.

Prior to joining Vogel Group, Matt Keelen was the Founder and President of The Keelen Group (TKG). He is a widely known and highly regarded lobbyist & political strategist with over twenty years of experience. He excels in building relationships with key figures while earning a reputation for consistently delivering hard-earned victories. Bloomberg Government Affairs rated The Keelen Group fourth in their 2015 rating of top-performing lobbying firms in the nation.

Matt’s ability to effectively navigate the landscape between legislative policy and political reality has made him a respected, sought-after voice, not only in Washington D.C. but around the country. Acknowledged for his innate ability to establish and develop long-lasting political relationships, Matt has dozens of time-tested relationships with Members of Congress, including many who are in positions of considerable influence today. Throughout his career, Matt has been recognized by peers and outside observers for his outstanding networking ability and real-world political acumen. He was named a “Rising Star of Politics” and was profiled as a “Mover and Shaker” by Campaigns and Elections magazine. The Hill newspaper has also named Mat one of the Top 50 Lobbyists in Washington, D.C. the last ten years in a row and 12 of the previous 14 years.

Before moving into government affairs, Matt spent ten years as a political fundraiser and operative. His political skills and performance have been sought after by national political committees and have secured him high-level consulting roles at the RNC, NRCC, NRSC, RGA, and Rudy Giuliani and Rick Perry’s Presidential campaigns. Matt also played a crucial role in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Trump campaigns as an advisor on working families’ outreach. Matt is frequently featured on national television to discuss his expertise of the political world.

Matt received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Loyola College in Maryland and a Master’s Degree in Political Management from George Washington University. He also served as an adjunct professor at George Washington University, where he taught a graduate-level course for GWU’s School of Political Management (GSPM).

LINKS
The Keelen Group
Linkedin

Areas of Expertise
Defense

Energy

Federal Appropriations

Financial Services

Government Contracting and Procurement

International

Awards
The Hill’s Top Lobbyists
2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

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Roles

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