Florida Politician Andrew Gillum Arrested for Meth and Marijuana Possession

Andrew Gillum, the former Florida Democratic governor nominee in 2018, was arrested in Alabama on possession of methamphetamine and other drug charges.

Gillum, 46, was arrested on Thursday, July 2, just before 11 p.m. by local police officers in Daphne, Alabama.

The Daphne Police Department said that the politician was accused of having the drugs in his car while at the U.S. Highway 98 and Walmart Drive, which is near a Walmart in the Gulf Coast city.

Gillum allegedly possessed three grams of methamphetamine, eight "pre-rolled marijuana joints," a bong, three pipes and other drug paraphernalia, according to the arrest report viewed by People.

While his arrest was confirmed, the Daphne Police Department redacted the narrative portion of the arrest report and has not shared any additional details about the events that led up to the arrest.

It is not currently clear if Gillum has entered a plea or retained legal counsel in Alabama following his arrest. The Daphne Police Department had no additional updates to share about the case when contacted by Us.

Gillum was booked into the Baldwin County jail on felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor 2nd degree possession of marijuana. He was later released on Friday, July 3.

Following his arrest, Gillum was part of a panel in New Orleans to discuss the 2026 midterms at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans on Saturday, July 4. He was joined by Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver, Louisiana state Sen. Royce Duplessis and his "Native Land Pod" cohosts Angela Rye and Bakari Sellers.

Despite the panel taking place one day after his release, he did not mention his arrest at the event.

Gillum narrowly lost to now-Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the 2018 election.

In 2020, Gillum was found inebriated in a Florida hotel room alongside a male sex worker who had overdosed. A police report obtained by The Miami New Times in March 2020 indicated that authorities found bags that contained crystal meth in the hotel room.

No charges were filed against Gillum in connection to the 2020 incident, and he later admitted himself to rehab for alcoholism.

Gillum and his wife, R. Jai Gillum, appeared on The Tamron Hall Show in September 2020, where he came out as bisexual. However, he insisted that the man found in the hotel room was just a friend.

His public drama continued in 2022 when he was indicted by federal prosecutors on 21 criminal counts in Florida. The charges came after he and a colleague were accused of fraudulently soliciting political donations and rerouting them to Gillum's personal accounts.

Gillum denied the allegations and a jury found him not guilty on one charge. However, the jury remained deadlocked on the remaining charges in May 2023 and the Justice Department subsequently dropped the case after a mistrial.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 4:07 PM.