The 2024 South Carolina Senate elections are fast approaching and Zoe Warren is making his move to challenge incumbent Katrina Shealy for her seat in District 23, which covers all of Lexington County.

Warren and his family are residents of Lexington where he worked full-time at Christ Central Ministries as chief custodian.

“We have lived here for about 12 years,” Warren said. “We're missionaries and were full-time at a soup kitchen downtown where we fed the homeless and the poor pretty much every day. About 100 to 150 folks.”

His wife, Victoria, is a retired esthetician and full-time homemaker and teacher for their three children.

Warren was a traveling missionary before entering the political scene. He has visited numerous countries.

“We were missionaries to Pakistan and the Philippines in 2015 and 2017 respectively,” he said.

His entrance into the political scene started when he became the third vice chairman of the Lexington County Republican Party.

After that, he ran for lieutenant governor and then came back to Lexington County to serve as the first vice chairman.

He also served as the legislative committee chairman.

Warren is running on a platform that promises to bring change to the current Republican party. His platform encourages voters to educate themselves before visiting the polls.

“There's no reason why the Republican party should be hijacked by people who don't listen to the members of the Republican party,” he said. “It's time for us to have a representation that will truly represent conservatism.

“Representation that will help to advance the Republican party. There's no reason that the platform should not be governing in South Carolina. We've been a Republican trifecta since 2003. It’s time to act like it.”

Warren told the Chronicle that the divide between the party and the freedom caucus in South Carolina is only a charade to persuade constituents.

“To be perfectly honest with you, a lot of it is charade,” Warren said. “Those guys, they laugh with each other. They still eat lunch together. It’s nothing but a show.”

He said he hopes to bring the GOP back together by encouraging voters to elect who they believe will do the job.

“You can fix problems by making sure that when you elect or support any candidate, they don’t just want their throne back; some of them just want power,” Warren said. “Make sure that your officials support the platform. If they don't, then tell them goodbye, you can get somebody else; ask them questions that are important to you.”

Warren’s opponent, Katrina Shealy has held the seat since 2013.

Shealy could not be reached for comment.

The original version of this story said that Warren and his family are residents of West Columbia. They are residents of Lexington.  The original version said that he currently works at Christ Central Ministries. He no longer works at Christ Central Ministries. The article has also been clarified to reflect that Warren's entrance into the political scene started when he became the third vice chairman of the Lexington County Republican Party then ran for lieutenant governor and then came back to Lexington County to serve as the first vice chairman.