State Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) is stepping away from the Capitol after a 20-year run, announcing Monday that she will retire at the end of her current term. The decision will close out two decades representing the 42nd District, a stretch that has kept her deeply involved with city halls and county boards in Aurora and neighboring suburbs. Holmes said she plans to serve through the remainder of her term.
Holmes cites health in decision
In a statement on her website, Sen. Holmes said she has lived with multiple sclerosis for 37 years and that “it is now time for me to slow down and focus on my health.” In the release, she thanked constituents and highlighted a list of accomplishments she described as among her proudest.
A two-decade run in Springfield
Holmes was first elected in 2006 and has represented the 42nd District since 2007, according to her biography with the Illinois General Assembly. Before winning her Senate seat, she served on the Kane County Board and went on to hold leadership roles on committees dealing with labor, local government and appropriations.
Legislative legacy
Holmes was the chief Senate sponsor of the End-of-Life Options Act, the medical aid-in-dying measure that moved through the legislature in 2025, and she has pushed measures on animal protections and unemployment benefits that shaped much of her recent work. Capitol News Illinois and Holmes’ office trace the end-of-life legislation as a long-running priority for the senator.
What comes next for the 42nd
Holmes won the Democratic primary in March, and the Kane County Clerk’s official abstract shows she received 9,060 votes in the county portion of the March 17 primary. The Kane County Clerk confirms her nomination locally, and under Illinois election law a vacancy in nomination would be filled by the appropriate party committee if she withdraws from the November ballot.
Local reaction
Local lawmakers have been quick to praise Holmes’ tenure. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit called Holmes’ retirement the conclusion of “a remarkable chapter in public service,” while Holmes said she intends to support emerging leaders in the district as she steps back.
