Chambana Sun

The Federation of Illinois Young Republicans has officially expanded to central Illinois with the launch of the Champaign County Young Republicans, a chapter uniquely positioned to harness the energy of the University of Illinois student body and other youth organizations active in the area. 

Federation Chairman Evan Kasal sees the Champaign County Young Republicans as a model for campus-centered political organizing. 

He emphasized that the chapter’s leadership includes students who are already active in several prominent conservative organizations, including Turning Point USA, College Republicans and Young America’s Foundation (YAF).

“One of the things I really like about the Champaign County YRs is that since it's more of a college chapter, it is going to give the YRs potential collaboration opportunities with the other youth organizations,” Kasal told the Chambana Sun.  

Leading the new chapter is Alex Bellinger as chair and Reese Hogan as vice chair. 

Kasal, who has led a rapid statewide expansion since taking office in March, has stressed the need to strengthen the party ahead of the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections on Nov. 3, 2026.

The Champaign County chapter is one of four newly chartered groups under Kasal’s leadership, which has brought the statewide total to 11 active chapters. 

The idea to launch a chapter in Champaign emerged organically from local momentum. 

Kasal credits Susan Mantel, the Champaign County GOP chair, and Colin Pruitt, a Republican political operative affiliated with the Illinois House Republican Organization (HRO), for sparking the effort.

“Originally, there were a few different people who were eager—including the county chair, who I didn’t know at the time but I now know, Susan Mantel, as well as Colin Pruitt,” said Kasal. “They basically both were like, ‘We have something going on in Champaign. We want to start a YR chapter there,’ so I kind of started pursuing it.”

The initial founder of the chapter was a senior at the University of Illinois who has since relocated to Will County. However, the groundwork that was laid, along with local support and state-level coordination, allowed the chapter to take shape quickly. Paperwork was finalized this spring, and leadership was installed shortly after. 

The Federation of Illinois Young Republicans formally announced the formation of the Champaign County Young Republicans Facebook on May 21.  

“We are pleased to announce the establishment of our newest chartered chapter, the Champaign County Young Republicans!! We look forward to collaborating in the recruitment, training, and election of new young Republicans in Champaign County,” the Federation said on Facebook.  

The Champaign County Young Republicans join other newly launched chapters—such as North Cook, Forgottonia and Metro East—that are playing an increasingly visible role in Illinois’ Republican resurgence. 

With Illinois poised for competitive races in 2026 and beyond, the Federation sees chapters like Champaign County’s as critical hubs for training and mobilizing the next generation of Republican talent.

Federation leaders like Kasal and Emily Cahill, the group’s statewide membership coordinator, have emphasized the importance of cultivating leadership among young conservatives.

“I see how corrupt the Democratic Party is and how it directly and negatively impacts my generation, my children and other residents of the state of Illinois and I believe if I was able to wake up more people to that, then they wouldn't vote Democrat,” Cahill previously told Prairie State Wire. “But they would start coming to the right side, as I say, and realize that the Republicans are the ones that care, and they want to help people.”