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Former Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Andrew Gillum Arrested After Alabama Traffic Stop, Faces Drug Charges

By  //  July 7, 2026

Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum was arrested in Alabama after police said they found suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop on July 2.

DAPHNE, ALABAMA – Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum was arrested in Alabama after police said they found suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop on July 2.

According to the Daphne Police Department, officers stopped a vehicle at approximately 10:45 p.m. on U.S. Highway 98 near North Main Street after observing it being driven erratically.

Police identified the driver as 46-year-old Andrew Gillum of Tallahassee.

Officers reported seeing a glass pipe in plain view on the vehicle’s center console, giving them probable cause to conduct a search of the vehicle.

During the search, investigators said they recovered three packages containing a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine with a combined weight of approximately 3 grams. Officers also located several marijuana cigarettes, additional marijuana products and drug paraphernalia, including a bong, pipes and cut straws.

Gillum was taken into custody and booked into the Baldwin County Jail. He has been charged with possession of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

Gillum rose to national prominence as the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida in 2018, narrowly losing the race to Republican Ron DeSantis. Before his gubernatorial campaign, Gillum served as mayor of Tallahassee from 2014 to 2018.

The arrest is the latest legal issue involving the former mayor. In March 2020, Miami Beach police and paramedics responded to the Mondrian South Beach hotel after receiving a report of a possible drug overdose.

Gillum and another man were found inside the hotel room, where officers observed prescription pill bottles and small bags containing suspected methamphetamine. However, prosecutors later declined to file charges, concluding there was insufficient evidence to directly link either man to the suspected drugs.

The Alabama charges remain pending. As with all criminal cases, Gillum is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.