Andrew Holmes (activist)

Holmes grew up both in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, as well as in Montgomery, Alabama. ==Community activism==

Holmes became a community activist in the mid-1990s after being mentored by Chicago alderman (city councilman) Terry Peterson, who he worked as an aide to. In 2015, Holmes faced personal tragedy with gun violence when his 32-year-old daughter, Tamara Sword, was fatally shot at a gas station in Indianapolis. Holmes has also distributed gun safety cable locks as a means of decreasing accidental household gun fatalities, particularly those involving children. The group terminated his role in May 2024 after allegations of sexual assault were made against Holmes. Holmes' titular Andrew Holmes Foundation had partnered with the Kendall and Michael Schofield Family Foundation (operated by athletes Kendall Coyne Schofield and Michael Schofield) to host winter holiday events for Chicago families who have been impacted by gun violence, as well as in its efforts to distribute gun safety locks. Senior citizens Holmes worked for Illinois State Representative Milton Patterson, who tasked him with focusing on the needs of senior citizens in his district. Holmes became aware that many elderly residents in the district had been victims of crime and abuse. Holmes began working with local police to solve cases involving elder victimization. He also began a tradition of giving roses to nursing homes residents on Mother's Day and baseball caps to residents of nursing homes on Father's Day. Other matters Holmes has lectured on matters such as human trafficking. ==Dolton village trustee and 2021 mayoral campaign==

In the late-2010s, Holmes began living in Dolton, Illinois. Dolton's elections tend to be more competitive than those in most other municipalities in the Chicago area's "southland" region, often seeing many candidates run. In 2019, eleven candidates sought election in the primary. Holmes ran for mayor of Dolton in 2021. His candidacy was centered on government transparency and fixing basic infrastructure in the city. Holmes ran in a four-person Democratic primary election against incumbent mayor Riley Rogers, fellow village trustee Tiffany Henyard, and Robert Shaw (a politician who was the brother of the deceased past Dolton mayor William Shaw). He placed third, behind Henyard and Rogers. Henyard went on to win the general election. Subsequently, during Henyard's controversial mayoralty, Holmes has been a prime ally and defender of her on the village board. In September 2021, Holmes was the only village trustee to vote in support of Henyard's request to hire a media consultant at a pay rate of $3,000 per month. This request was rejected by the village board of trustees by a vote of 5–1. In his successful 2023 reelection, Holmes was endorsed by Mayor Henyard, who also endorsed Stan Brown. Henyard also supported the unsuccessful primary election write-in candidacy of Joslyn King and the also-unsuccessful general election write-in candidacy of Linda Terell. The Chicago Tribune observed that Holmes had previously been Henyard's sole ally on the board, and that Brown's election alongside Holmes meant that Henyard's number of allies on the six-member board increased from one to two. Opponents of Henyard's had attempted to challenge Holmes' candidacy, alleging he did not truly reside in Dolton and therefore failed to meet residency requirements. In the same election cycle, Holmes filed a challenge with the Cook County Clerk's Office against former mayor Rogers' nominating papers to run for an additional term on the Thornton Township Trustees of Schools Board. In February 2024, Holmes opposed cuts in the village's budget, which were passed over the veto of Mayor Henyard. ==Personal life==

Holmes has had six children. In 2015, his daughter Tamara Sword (a 32-year-old mother of five children) was fatally shot at a gas station in Indianapolis. Two men were arrested for her shooting. It was believed she had been caught in crossfire. In 2021, Holmes was involved in a multi-vehicle traffic collision that saw a Chicago Transit Authority bus hit his car after running through a red traffic light. In 2023, one of Holmes' grandchildren was injured in a mass shooting that occurred in Indianapolis. In April 2024, a lawsuit was filed which alleged that Holmes sexually assaulted a Dolton village employee while on a May 2023 Dolton-related business trip to Las Vegas. In October 2024, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department closed an investigation without filing any charges. In October 2025, the village settled the lawsuit. In September 2025, a separate lawsuit was filed accusing Holmes of sexually assaulting a minor. ==Electoral history==