Ex-Florida Governor Candidate Andrew Gillum Arrested on Drug Charges

Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum has been arrested in Alabama on drug-related charges, marking another legal setback for the once-rising political star. The arrest took place Thursday evening in Daphne, Alabama, and he was booked into Baldwin County jail.

According to online police records, Gillum faces charges of possession of dangerous drugs, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana. The Daphne Police Department has not yet released details on what led to his arrest.

This is not Gillum's first brush with drug allegations. In 2020, he and another man were found disoriented in a room at the Mondrian Hotel in South Beach, Florida. A concerned bystander called 911, fearing an overdose.

Police body camera footage later revealed several prescription pill bottles and three small bags of methamphetamine in the room. However, prosecutors declined to charge Gillum due to insufficient evidence directly linking him to the drugs.

Gillum, who served as mayor of Tallahassee from 2014 to 2018, narrowly lost the 2018 Florida governor's race to Republican Ron DeSantis by about 30,000 votes — one of the closest margins in state history.

The latest arrest could effectively end any remaining political aspirations for Gillum, whose name continues to appear in headlines for legal troubles rather than policy achievements.