Eric spent 30 years as an independent before he got involved in politics. He started out with the Libertarian Party, working with a small group of independent thinkers at the Libertarian Party of Greater Peoria and helping get a Tazewell County chapter established. Eventually, Eric realized that the two biggest libertarians in government at the national level are Republicans, and joining the Tazewell County Republican Party was a natural fit. Being fiscally conservative is something they can both agree on.
Eric believes the majority of Tazewell County residents want the same things, regardless of their party: a county that is a desirable place to live, a place where you would want to create jobs, and a place you are proud to call home. “My job on the County Board is to help facilitate those things.”
Eric considers Pekin to be his adopted hometown. He’ll talk about the area’s virtues to anyone who will listen. We have a lot to be proud of in our county and we need to keep working to make it better for the next generation. Fiscal responsibility now means that we will not leave burdens for our children that will drive them away. Eric is proud of what his family has built and accomplished and he hopes he can help others have those opportunities as well.
Eric moved to Delavan in 1993 and married his WIU sweetheart, Angela, in 1995. Since that time, they have always lived outside of Pekin in rural Tazewell County. There have been opportunities over the years to leave the area, but Eric and Angela decided that there is no better place to make a home and raise two children.
In his free time, Eric can usually be found off-roading and camping in Central Illinois or across the US. The Stahl family tries to get out and travel near or far when they get a vacation. Eric likes to say, “Travel is the best education and I believe in immersing my children in new experiences and cultures as much as possible.”
Eric has worked for more than two decades as a Service Manager at a Pekin new car dealership. Over the years, Eric has volunteered his time with St. Joseph’s Parish and Boy Scouts of America Troop 62 out of the Pekin Salvation Army (now merged into Troop 181). He is proud to have served as a BSA leader, and his son Aiden is an Eagle Scout. Aiden graduated from Carthage College in 2026 and now works full time for the City of Kenosha.
Eric and Angela’s daughter, Summer, studied science at SIUC and earned the “Billy Mitchell” award in Civil Air Patrol with the McLean County Wing. Today, the family keeps her spirit alive through the Summer Stahl Memorial Scholarship, awarded each year to a DeeMack graduate. #sweetdreamsofsummer
Serving on the Tazewell County Board
After winning the 2024 primary election, Eric was appointed early to the Tazewell County Board, where he represents all of District 2: Groveland, Morton, Elm Grove, Tremont, Dillon and Hopedale Townships. He serves as Vice Chair of the Property Committee and is a member of the Finance, Human Resources, Land Use, Risk Management and Executive Committees. Some of the work he is proud of so far:
- New Animal Control facility: Broke ground in September 2025 and cut the ribbon in 2026 on a humane new Animal Control building at the county’s Tremont campus.
- Data centers: Pushed for a moratorium on data center development until the county has a finished ordinance in place. The Land Use Committee unanimously recommended a nine-month moratorium to the full board. Eric is also pressing for transparency on project ownership, tax incentives and power use.
- Protecting neighbors: Voted “No” in Land Use and at full board on a five-megawatt solar farm in Mackinaw Township that was landlocked by homes and businesses. The board rejected it 17–2.
- Rural broadband: Worked with the board to apply Illinois Energy Transition funds toward broadband programs in the county, continuing the work he started on the board’s ad hoc broadband committee.
- Honoring Lincoln: Advocated for naming the new $44 million Justice Center Annex in downtown Pekin after Abraham Lincoln, who practiced law in Tazewell County.
Follow along on Eric’s County Board Facebook page.
See Eric’s official Tazewell County Board member page.
Past Campaigns
In 2020, Eric ran for Tazewell County Board Chairman. While he did not win the election, he did garner 21% of the popular vote as a Libertarian Candidate. No small task in a county that is traditionally Republican.
Eric’s goals as a candidate for chairman:
- Protect small businesses in Tazewell County (Especially during COVID restrictions)
- Press for more High-Speed Internet access to rural county residents.
- Make sure Tazewell County infrastructure is equipped to maintain and bring in new business.
- Watch the county spending and make sure the budget does not place financial burdens on future county residents.
In 2021 Eric ran for DeeMack #701 School Board in the “Tremont” region of the school district.
Eric campaigned on his ongoing commitment to rural internet infrastructure. The digital divide is real; Eric and his family struggle with connectivity concerns from their home in rural Tremont.
Eric’s understanding of vocational programs at local high schools and his relationships with the ICC automotive tech program made him uniquely qualified to understand student and teacher needs. Eric feels it’s our schools’ responsibility to teach life skills and get children ready for occupations in the real world. His motivation was to work with instructors and program directors to make sure they have the most up-to-date equipment that will help students achieve success.
Eric launched his campaign for Tazewell County Board, District 2, in 2023. His passion for the county, and for bringing technology to its outlying areas, grew out of his 2020 run for chairman. After that race, Board Chairman David Zimmerman, Eric’s former opponent, appointed him as a citizen member of the County Board’s ad hoc Rural Telecommunications committee, where he worked alongside then-board member Brandon Hovey.
In the March 19, 2024 Republican primary, Eric was the top vote-getter in a four-way race for three District 2 seats, earning 2,534 votes (28.6%). He was appointed to the board early following the primary.
Donations
Running for office at any level has an expense that is very real. No other occupation has you spend your own money for a “chance” to get the job. While I have never felt comfortable asking for financial support, I am very appreciative of those willing to help my cause.
Follow this link for donation information: Candidate Stahl Donations Page