Andrew Gillum Back in Jail After Positive Meth Test: REPORT

Andrew Gillum is back behind bars, just weeks after his first drug arrest in Alabama.

The former Tallahassee mayor and 2018 Florida gubernatorial candidate was booked into the Baldwin County jail on Thursday, Aug. 6, after allegedly missing a required drug test and then testing positive for methamphetamine during a court appearance.

What Happened

Gillum, 47, was participating in a court-supervised drug testing program when he allegedly failed to show up for a scheduled screening.

He was later tested during his court appearance Thursday, and the result came back positive for meth, according to Baldwin County Assistant District Attorney John Oxford.

A court order lists the reason for his detention as a missed drug test and a positive methamphetamine result. The case involves a drug court program focused on rehabilitation for certain first-time drug offenders.

His First Arrest

The latest arrest comes about a month after Gillum was arrested in Daphne, Alabama, on July 2.

Police allegedly found Gillum in possession of 3 grams of methamphetamine, eight pre-rolled marijuana joints, a bong, three pipes and other drug paraphernalia, according to TMZ. He was released the following day.

Gillum reportedly passed a drug test shortly after that arrest, and there had been an indication that he could enter a pretrial drug intervention program.

From Rising Political Star to Legal Trouble

Gillum's latest legal problems mark another dramatic chapter for a politician who was once considered one of Florida's biggest Democratic stars.

He served as mayor of Tallahassee from 2014 to 2018 before becoming the Democratic nominee for Florida governor. He narrowly lost that race to Republican Ron DeSantis.

Gillum's political career was later derailed by a 2020 incident in which he was found intoxicated in a Miami-area hotel room with a male escort who had overdosed. Police reported finding bags containing suspected crystal meth in the room, although Gillum denied using meth at the time.

Gillum also faced federal fraud charges stemming from allegations involving political donations. A jury acquitted him on one charge in 2023 but deadlocked on the remaining counts.

For now, Gillum remains in the Baldwin County jail as he awaits his next court appearance on Aug. 13.