The State

Associate Editor Warren Bolton is a Columbia native who writes mostly about local government and politics, but also delves into social, civic and moral issues. He began his career in 1986 as a reporter with the Columbia Record, and has been employed with The State Media Company for 26 years. In 1988, he joined The State and covered county government for six years. In more than nine years as a reporter, he covered education, police, courts and the Legislature.

He has served as assistant night news editor as well as an assistant assigning editor over sports, government and community life reporting teams. He became an assigning editor in 1996, supervising reporters covering the environment, health, housing and food.

In April of 1997, he became education editor. A month later, he joined The State’s Editorial Board. In January of 2000, he was promoted to associate editor.

Warren has received various S.C. Press Association awards, including being named editorial writer of the year and columnist of the year. A recipient of The State’s Ambrose E. Gonzales Award for excellence in journalism, he also has been recognized by the Inland Press Association, the Columbia Urban League, the Columbia-National Council of Negro Women, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands and Voices for South Carolina’s Children. He also was selected as one of 12 honorees to be included in the 2010 AT&T South Carolina African American History Calendar.

In December of 2011, he published his first book, “God Is Grace: Lessons to a Father from a Son.”

An associate minister and member at Bethel AME Church in Columbia, he and his wife, Tanya, co-chair the church’s Married Couples Ministry. He has volunteered at the Department of Juvenile Justice, the United Way and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands. He regularly volunteers as a reader and speaker at schools across the Midlands.

Warren, a University of South Carolina graduate, is the youngest of 11 children. The Boltons are proud parents of two sons, Alexander and Christopher.