Former Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Arrested on Drug Charges

Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum was arrested in Alabama last week after police said a traffic stop led to the discovery of suspected drugs inside the vehicle he was driving. According to…

Andrew PowellJul 8, 20263 min read

Andrew GillumArrestDrugsFloridaPoliticsU.S. News

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If convicted of the marijuana charge, Gillum could face up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $6,000.

Gillum rose to national prominence during Florida's 2018 governor's race, when he narrowly lost to President Donald Trump ally Ron DeSantis by about 34,000 votes, a margin of roughly 0.4%.

At the time, Gillum was serving as mayor of Tallahassee and was widely viewed as an emerging figure within the Democratic Party.

Since leaving elected office, Gillum has co-hosted the podcast "Native Land" alongside Angela Rye and Bakari Sellers. He also previously worked as a political commentator for CNN.

The latest Arrest follows several high-profile personal and legal challenges in recent years.

In 2020, Gillum was found intoxicated in a Miami Beach hotel room where another individual had apparently overdosed on Drugs. No criminal charges were filed in that incident.

Later that year, Gillum announced he was entering a rehabilitation facility for alcohol abuse and depression.

"After conversation with my family and deep reflection, I have made the decision to seek help, guidance, and enter a rehabilitation facility at this time," he said in a statement. "This has been a wake-up call for me. Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse."

Gillum also faced a federal corruption case in 2022 involving allegations that campaign funds were misused.

He was acquitted of making false statements to the FBI, and prosecutors later dropped the remaining charges after a mistrial was declared.

The Alabama drug possession case remains pending.

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