Kevin Sheekey

Kevin Sheekey
Born	(1966-06-12) June 12, 1966 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, political strategist
Years active	1992–present
Known for	Global Head of Communications, Government Relations, and Marketing at Bloomberg L.P.; campaign manager for Mike Bloomberg's 2020 presidential bid; deputy mayor for government affairs of New York City

Kevin Sheekey (born June 12, 1966) is a prominent American entrepreneur and political strategist currently holding the position of Global Head of Communications, Government Relations, and Marketing at Bloomberg L.P.. He directed former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg's 2020 presidential bid. Prior to this, Sheekey led Bloomberg L.P.'s government relations and communications divisions and served as chairman of Bloomberg Government. Additionally, he acted as deputy mayor for government affairs during Mayor Bloomberg’s tenure, managing three victorious mayoral campaigns. In March 2020, the Atlantic recognized him as "one of the sharpest political minds of his generation."

Personal life and education

Raised in Washington, D.C., Sheekey currently resides in Manhattan with his wife Robin and their twin children. His academic background includes studies at Washington University in St. Louis and attendance at Georgetown Day School.

He has two sisters, among them Megan Sheekey, who formerly presided over the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City.

Professional career

Between 1992 and 1997, Sheekey served Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan as press secretary, campaign manager for Moynihan’s 1994 re-election effort, and Chief of Staff. His career includes twelve years working with Democrats in the U.S. Congress.

In 1997, Sheekey joined Bloomberg L.P. as the chief lobbyist in Washington and has been a key political consultant to Mike Bloomberg since the latter's entry into politics. He managed Bloomberg’s initial mayoral campaign in 2001 and later held the role of president of the New York Host Committee during the Republican National Convention. He also served as Bloomberg’s deputy mayor for government affairs.

During Bloomberg’s 2005 re-election campaign, Sheekey forged a wide-ranging alliance that incorporated unions, Democratic politicians, and progressive activists. Following this success, he was invited to participate in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s gubernatorial re-election campaign. Sheekey contributed strategically to projects such as PlaNYC and was instrumental in securing multi-billion-dollar funding for New York City school infrastructure from state lawmakers. A Democratic strategist from New York State praised him as "probably the best political operator" of his generation.

Sheekey evaluated the possibility of Bloomberg running for president in 2008; however, the mayor decided to finish his second term instead. Returning to Bloomberg L.P. in 2010, Sheekey took charge of government relations and communications and chaired Bloomberg Government—a subscription-based platform providing insights on government affairs—eventually ascending to Global Head of Communications, Government Relations, and Marketing. He divides his time between New York and London to represent Bloomberg’s international business interests.

He holds board memberships with the ONE Campaign and the Partnership for Public Service. Sheekey was also a founding board member of Tech:NYC, a nonprofit organization championing New York City’s technology industry with members including Google, Bloomberg L.P., Uber, and Facebook.

In 2015, Sheekey began preparations for Michael Bloomberg’s possible Independent candidacy in the 2016 presidential race by coordinating staffing and messaging efforts across party lines. Ultimately, Bloomberg chose not to run, citing concerns about potentially affecting the election outcome negatively. Sheekey played an advisory role during Bloomberg’s prime-time endorsement speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Although considered a potential contender for New York City’s 2017 mayoral election against Bill de Blasio, Sheekey decided instead to concentrate on expanding Bloomberg’s global initiatives focused on climate change and sustainability. He recommended that Bloomberg Philanthropies assume funding responsibilities following the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

When Bloomberg announced his presidential campaign in November 2019, Sheekey was appointed campaign manager. He highlighted Bloomberg’s business expertise and technological savvy as key strengths for appealing to voters and overcoming incumbents. Sheekey explained the deliberate strategy to bypass early primary states in favor of a nationwide campaign effort. Reflecting on that election cycle, he asserted that without Bloomberg’s candidacy, Donald Trump might still hold office.

In December 2023, Sheekey received the prestigious Freedom of the City of London. Earlier, in April 2022, he was honored with the French Ordre national du Mérite for his contributions to Franco-American relations and leadership on climate initiatives.