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 through 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 advocates for numerous health initiatives. She leads efforts to require health insurance companies to cover patient care as prescribed by an individual's doctors and to provide for an adequate number of health care specialists within their insurance network so families aren't delayed or traveling great distances to get proper care.

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, ending the puppy mill to pet store pipeline, and reducing the number of exotic animals in roadside zoos.

Her current committee assignments are Agriculture; Local Government (Chair); Labor; Executive; Special Committee on Pensions;
Liquor (Sub-Chair); EX Special Issues (Sub-Vice-Chair); Tobacco (Sub-Vice-Chair); End Of Life Issues (Sub-Vice-Chair); and Paid Leave (Sub-Chair).

Senator Holmes has lived in Aurora since 1983. She received a bachelor's degree from the National College of Education (now National-Lewis University), and a Doctor of Humane Letters from Aurora University.