Senator Linda Holmes Contact information

Linda Holmes, born on March 16, 1959, is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 42nd District since January 2007. The 42nd district includes all or parts of Aurora, Boulder Hill, Montgomery, Naperville, North Aurora, and Oswego.

Before her service in the Illinois Senate, she served on the Kane County Board. A lifelong resident of Illinois, Holmes graduated from National Louis University with a bachelor’s degree and worked as a research analyst at Conway-Milliken. She later became a project manager at Data Research before leaving to run a business with her husband at the time, Creative Carpentry Remodelers Inc.

In 2004, Holmes was elected to the Kane County Board where she was chosen to serve on the Forest Preserve District Board. In 2006, incumbent Edward Petka chose to run for a judgeship on the 12th Circuit Court of Illinois. Holmes defeated Republican candidate and Will County Board member Terri Wintermute. After the election, Edward Petka resigned to assume the judgeship and his wife Phyllis Petka was appointed to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the 94th General Assembly.

Senator Holmes was sworn into office in 2007. In the Illinois Senate, Senator Holmes has served as the Chairperson of the State Government & Veterans Affairs Committee. Her other committee assignments are Agriculture and Conservation, Gaming, Labor, and Local Government.

Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes is a member of Senate President Don Harmon’s leadership team. She has served in the Illinois State Senate since 2006, bringing her experience as a successful small business owner and community volunteer to the General Assembly. Her business perspective contributes to her record in economic development and increased government efficiency. Her commitment to all Illinoisans is seen in her legislative action to improve health, well-being, and quality of life.

Senator Holmes works diligently to get the state’s fiscal house in order and identify business growth and development opportunities. She has sponsored several measures aimed at increasing government efficiency, consolidation, and local control. As a leader of a working group addressing the unemployment insurance trust fund, her actions made possible the pay off of debt after a historic agreement was reached between the state, and representatives from business, labor, and bipartisan members of the General Assembly.

Holmes works for local redevelopment, including a project that took the historic St. Charles Hospital in Aurora and renovated it into a new senior housing facility. The project was possible through the use of the River Edge Redevelopment Zone program, which was extended to allow for more revitalization in the district.

Holmes advocates for numerous health initiatives. She supported efforts to require health insurance companies provide for an adequate number of health care specialists within their insurance network so that families never have to choose between paying out-of-network costs or traveling great distances to get proper care. She has sponsored legislation to increase physical fitness education in our schools, where early learning about good health habits can contribute to a lifetime of wellness.

Her strong support of environmental issues has earned recognition from the Illinois Environmental Council. She has been named Legislator of the Year by the Illinois EMS Alliance for her support of their life-saving work, and also by the United States Humane Society for her animal welfare legislation concerning research dogs and cats, animal shelters, and reducing the number of exotic animals in roadside zoos.

Her current committee assignments are Labor, Agriculture, Executive, and Local Government. Senator Holmes has lived in Aurora since 1983.