David Keene

David Keene
Keene in March 2013
Born	David A. Keene (1945-05-20) May 20, 1945 (age 71) Wisconsin
Nationality	United States
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin
Occupation	Political consultant, Presidential advisor, editor
Known for	Chairman of American Conservative Union
Political party	Republican Party
Spouse(s)	Donna Wiesner Keene
Children	5

David A. Keene (born May 20, 1945) is an American political consultant, former Presidential advisor, and newspaper editor, currently the Opinion Editor of The Washington Times. Keene was the president of the National Rifle Association for the traditional two one-year terms from 2011 to 2013. From 1984 to 2011, he was the chairman of the American Conservative Union. Keene has worked for the political campaigns of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Robert Dole, and Mitt Romney.

Keene made a name for himself as chapter leader and eventually national chairman of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) while at the University of Wisconsin in the 1960s. He supported American efforts to oppose communism and took a strong stance against radicalism on both sides of the debate, particularly the violent efforts to suppress discourse, which he found inconsistent with the basis of educational institutions as bastions of rational thinking and discussion.

After graduating from college, he ran for the Wisconsin State Senate in 1969 at age 24 in a special election to replace Frank E. Panzer who had died in office in August that year. Keene ran as a conservative and had Richard Nixon's endorsement, but was defeated by Democrat Dale McKenna in a race to fill the traditionally Republican 13th district senate seat. This was the only time that Keene ran for public office.

Keene later worked as a political assistant to Vice President Spiro Agnew during the Nixon administration, and then in the 1970s as executive assistant to Senator James L. Buckley.

Keene went on to become the southern regional coordinator for Ronald Reagan's 1976 bid for the Republican presidential nomination and national political director for George H.W. Bush's 1980 presidential campaign. He advised Senator Robert Dole's 1988 and 1996 presidential campaigns, and in 2007 endorsed Mitt Romney for president and was an advisor to his second run for president.