Andrew Gillum, the 46-year-old former Tallahassee mayor once seen as a rising star of the Democratic Party, has been arrested in Alabama after police say they found methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his car. Gillum was a nationally prominent figure who won Barack Obama's endorsement and came remarkably close to winning the Florida governorship in 2018, making his arrest a striking fall from grace.

According to police, Gillum was pulled over for driving erratically on US Highway 98 in Daphne at around 10.45pm on 2 July. An officer reportedly spotted a glass pipe on the centre console, prompting a search that allegedly uncovered three grams of methamphetamine, eight pre-rolled joints, cut straws, several pipes and a bong. He was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanour possession of marijuana, was booked into custody and has since been released. Gillum has not commented, and in 2018 he lost to Ron DeSantis by less than half a percentage point.