BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. — Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was arrested in Baldwin County, Alabama, on drug-related charges, according to jail records.
Gillum, 46, was booked July 3 after being arrested.
Booking records list his name as Andrew Demetric Gillum, with an arrest date of July 2 at 10:44 p.m.
WFTV profiled Andrew Gillum for “Central Florida Spotlight” in 2019:
Authorities list three charges against Gillum:
• Possession of dangerous drugs
• Drug paraphernalia, first offense
• Possession of marijuana, second offense
Records show Gillum was released the same day he was booked.
No additional details about the circumstances leading to the arrest, including what drugs were allegedly involved or what led officers to make contact with Gillum, were immediately available.
Gillum became a nationally recognized political figure in 2018 when he won the Democratic nomination for governor of Florida.
He was the first Black major-party nominee for governor in the state’s history and narrowly lost the general election to Republican Ron DeSantis.
Before his statewide campaign, Gillum served as mayor of Tallahassee from 2014 to 2018 and previously served on the Tallahassee City Commission.
The arrest comes years after Gillum faced other public controversies.
In 2020, police responded to a Miami Beach hotel room where Gillum was found with another man who was experiencing a medical emergency. Officers reported finding suspected drugs at the scene, but Gillum was not charged in connection with that incident.
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Gillum also faced federal campaign-related charges in 2022, including allegations involving wire fraud, conspiracy and making false statements.
A jury acquitted him on one count and deadlocked on others before prosecutors later moved to dismiss the remaining charges.
In the years following his 2018 campaign, Gillum continued political advocacy and media work, including a stint as a political commentator for CNN.
Gillum has not publicly commented on the Alabama arrest.
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