Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum is back behind bars after allegedly missing a court-ordered drug test and then testing positive for methamphetamine, according to a new report.
Gillum, once hailed by Democrats as a rising political star, was taken back into custody following a court appearance in Alabama, TMZ reported.
The arrest marks the second time in less than six weeks that the former Tallahassee mayor has found himself in legal trouble involving alleged drug activity.
According to TMZ, Baldwin County Assistant District Attorney John Oxford said Gillum had been participating in random drug testing through a system known as “color code drug testing.”
Under that system, defendants are assigned a color and required to call a hotline each day to find out whether they must report for testing.
Oxford said Gillum failed to appear for a drug test on a day when his assigned color was called.
Authorities then tested him during a court appearance last Thursday, and the result allegedly came back positive for methamphetamine.
Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was jailed again on August 6 after allegedly missing a required drug test and later testing positive for meth.
The former Tallahassee mayor was previously arrested on drug charges on July 2 and released the following day.… pic.twitter.com/OMGGR4ErLH
— No Jumper (@nojumper) August 8, 2026
Gillum was subsequently taken back into custody, according to TMZ.
The latest arrest comes after Gillum was arrested last month during a traffic stop in Daphne, Alabama.
Police said officers searched his vehicle and found marijuana along with three packages containing a substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine.
The new case adds another damaging chapter to the downfall of a politician who was once considered one of the Democratic Party’s brightest young prospects.
Gillum narrowly lost the 2018 Florida governor’s race to Republican Ron DeSantis after running a campaign heavily backed by national Democrats and progressive activists.
His political career later unraveled following a series of scandals and legal controversies.
Gillum was also involved in a highly publicized March 2020 incident at the Mondrian South Beach hotel in Miami Beach.
Police and paramedics responded to a hotel room after reports that a man may have suffered an overdose.
Gillum and another man were found inside the room.
Police body-camera footage later showed prescription pill bottles and small bags containing suspected methamphetamine.
Prosecutors ultimately declined to file criminal charges against Gillum or the other man, saying there was not enough evidence to directly connect either individual to the drugs.
The latest allegations, however, are different because they involve a court-supervised testing program and an alleged positive result.
For a former Democratic “golden boy” who once came within striking distance of the Florida governor’s mansion, the political comeback trail now appears even steeper.
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