Mississippi state Sen. Michael McLendon, R-Hernando, faces a driving under the influence charge in Alabama, Baldwin County Chief Deputy Anthony Lowery said.

McLendon was arrested around 10 a.m. on June 5 after being pulled over on Highway 98 near Foley, Alabama, and faces a charge of DUI combined with substance.

“That means alcohol combined with another substance,” Lowery said. “We are not alleging what that substance is at this point, and that does not necessarily mean anything nefarious — it can be cold medicine.”

McLendon did not immediately respond to a call and message seeking comment on Monday.

McLendon was released the evening of his arrest after posting a $2,500 bond and has a court date scheduled for Oct. 25.

Lowery said McLendon was “completely compliant, with no issues whatsoever” when he was arrested.

McLendon, 59, is finishing his first term in the Mississippi Legislature representing District 1 in DeSoto County and is unopposed for reelection this year.

Creative Commons License

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Geoff serves as Politics and Government Editor, working closely with Mississippi Today leadership on editorial strategy and investigations. Pender joined the Mississippi Today team in 2020, bringing 30 years of political and government reporting experience to the newsroom.

Previously, Pender served as Politics and Investigative Editor at The Clarion Ledger, where he also penned a popular political column. While at The Clarion Ledger, Pender helped lead digital transformation for the legacy publication, while overseeing watchdog news teams and government reporting. He previously served as an investigative reporter and political editor at the Sun Herald, where he was a member of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team for Hurricane Katrina coverage. Originally from Florence, Mississippi, Pender is a journalism graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and has received numerous awards throughout his career for reporting, columns and freedom of information efforts.