Peoria Standard

Central Illinois has a new chapter of the Young Republicans, with Dylan Steffen, a candidate for Woodford County Board, launching the Central Illinois Young Republicans (CIYR) this fall.

The chapter, serving Tazewell and Woodford counties, was officially chartered as the 14th chapter of the Federation of Illinois Young Republicans and will focus on engaging young conservatives in the region.

“I was looking for something to start building around the area,” Steffen told the Peoria Standard. “I had been kind of doing my own thing, considering trying to do events of a certain nature, kind of like Turning Point USA does. But then I found out about the Young Republicans, so I was like, okay, this would give me an opportunity to lead it and start a chapter in the area that I thought was desperately needed.”

The logo of the Central Illinois Young Republicans, the newly chartered 14th chapter of the Federation of Illinois Young Republicans, representing Tazewell and Woodford counties. | Facebook / Central IL Young Republicans

The Federation of Illinois Young Republicans announced the chapter’s creation in a Facebook post on Oct. 28.

“Congratulations to our newest chapter — the Central IL Young Republicans! Serving Tazewell and Woodford Counties, they’re officially the 14th chartered chapter of the Federation of Illinois Young Republicans, representing the heart of the U.S.! A huge thank you to Dylan Steffen for getting all the paperwork together to make this happen,” the Federation wrote. “Welcome aboard, Central Illinois YRs — let’s get to work!”

Steffen said his motivation to start the chapter came from witnessing political shifts in traditionally conservative areas.

“People think of downstate central Illinois, besides Peoria, Bloomington and Champaign, as pretty red,” he said. “But we're starting to see what I call a liberal leech coming out from those towns, and they're starting to end up in our rural counties more. Seeing that really drove me to want to get involved, so I decided to talk to them, start a chapter, and see if we can't start pushing that stuff back out.”

Steffen, who attended Metamora High School and briefly participated in college activism, said the lack of youth representation in politics keeps him motivated.

“When you look at the overall age at the moment of Congress, whether it's state or federal, it's an older demographic,” he said. “And when you get to that point, they're focused on what the older demographic wants. In it for you, you realize that they're forgetting about the younger individuals and what they need as well.”

As of 2025, the 119th U.S. Congress has an average age of 58 to 59, making it one of the oldest in history, with the 117th Congress (2021–2022) noted as the oldest in recent memory.

Steffen points to history to illustrate the importance of youth involvement, noting that just as the nation’s founders were often young, modern governance too often overlooks younger generations.

“If you think back to our founding fathers, a lot of them were in their 20s and 30s, some a bit older, some in their teens, but there was a good mixture of that age balance in terms of older and younger, with it leaning and skewing more towards the younger individuals who were running and controlling Congress,” he said. “And so I believe it's a foundational thing that we need to ensure young individuals understand what government does and how they can play an incremental role in shaping policy for not only their futures but also their family's future, their kids, because if we think too short term, that's how we end up in serious messes like we've got now.”

The CIYR will emphasize community engagement and grassroots involvement.

“Being able to get them involved in something that maybe starts as a fun event first, and they say, ‘OK, I kind of like this. I like the community aspect to it,’ which is what we're going to lean heavily on with our chapter,” he said. 

That first event is already on the calendar: Republican Night at the Bloomington Bison hockey game on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.

The chapter’s social media presence has grown quickly, highlighting collaborations with groups such as Turning Point USA, McLean County Young Republicans and ISU College Republicans, along with local fundraisers and political discussions.

Federation of Illinois Young Republicans Chairman Evan Kasal, who helped Steffen establish the new chapter, said he is thrilled to see the organization expand into Central Illinois. Kasal, a Chicago-based technology professional and ward committeeman elected Federation chairman in March 2025, has grown the organization from seven to 14 chapters in less than a year.

Kasal has boosted the group's visibility through enhanced social media strategies, revitalizing platforms like Facebook and Instagram with consistent messaging. He encourages elected officials to channel young staffers into YR leadership roles to retain talent and groom future candidates.

“I've been looking for a chapter in Peoria for a while, because the Peoria area obviously is one of the bigger political areas in Illinois,” Kasal told the Peoria Standard. “And I felt like that was a pretty big gap in our leadership, in our membership, I guess. So it kind of worked out pretty well.”

He said he hopes to host the Federation’s statewide convention in Peoria in the spring of 2026, citing the Central Illinois chapter’s central location as ideal for uniting young conservatives from across the state.

“They are so engaged, and that's why I want the convention to be held there. They're centrally located in the middle of Illinois, which I think will be a good way to bring all the YR chapters together,” Kasal said. “I also thought it was important to have a chapter in such a centrally located place in Illinois.”

Beyond location, Kasal outlined the convention’s broader purpose and planned activities.

“We're creating this statewide convention so that we have something for all of us to rally around and be socialized,” he said. “We're already thinking we have a hotel venue, and we're probably going to do a cigar night, a bar crawl, kind of like a black-to-blue type gala, as well as official election proceedings and trainings for elections and related activities."

For more information or to join the Central Illinois Young Republicans, email Steffen at ciyr1854@gmail.com.