DeSantis’ 2018 Opponent Booked On Drug Charges

Andrew Gillum, the former Democratic nominee for governor of Florida who narrowly lost to Ron DeSantis in 2018, was arrested last week in Alabama on drug-related charges.

Gillum, 46, was taken into custody Thursday night in Daphne, Alabama, a city in Baldwin County near the Florida Panhandle. According to online jail records cited by TMZ, he was booked on charges of possession of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana.

The Daphne Police Department had not immediately released details about what led to the arrest.

Florida Politics and other outlets also reported that Gillum was booked into the Baldwin County jail on multiple charges. He was later released on a $6,500 bond.

The charges could carry serious consequences if Gillum is convicted. Under Alabama law, a felony dangerous drugs charge can carry a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $7,500. The two misdemeanor charges could bring additional jail time and fines.

The arrest marks another legal and personal setback for Gillum, who was once viewed as a rising figure in Democratic politics. In 2018, he came within a narrow margin of becoming Florida’s first Democratic governor in decades. He lost to DeSantis by 32,463 votes, a difference of about 0.4 percent out of more than 8 million votes cast.

That race drew national attention at the time. Gillum, then the mayor of Tallahassee, ran as a progressive Democrat and had support from several high-profile figures on the left. DeSantis, who was then a congressman, went on to win the governorship and later became one of the most prominent Republican governors in the country.

Gillum’s troubles did not end with the election loss. During and after the campaign, he faced scrutiny over corruption allegations tied to his time as mayor. He was later charged in a federal case, though he was acquitted on one count and the jury deadlocked on others.

One of the most public incidents involving Gillum came in 2020, when he was found in a Miami Beach hotel room where police and paramedics had responded to a report of a possible overdose. According to The Miami Herald, methamphetamine was found in the room, but no charges were filed because police said the drugs were not found on Gillum or the other man present.