After a Sunday night arrest, Cullman County Commission candidate Josh Speakman is contemplating whether he should remain in the race.

Speakman was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and with having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle after a Cullman County sheriff’s deputy pulled him over as he left work in West Point Sunday night. Both charges are Class A misdemeanors.

According to Speakman, deputies told him that he was swerving. He agreed to a breathalyzer and said he blew a 0.00%.

Speakman said the open container was a previously opened bottle of wine in the back seat. The drug paraphernalia charge stems from a Mt. Dew can that Speakman said he’d used after cleaning his mouth with Listerine.

“I go somewhere and before I get out of the car, I rinse my mouth out and I don’t want people to see me spitting it out on the ground, so I spit it in a cup I keep in the car,” he said. “I’d been somewhere and had an empty Mt. Dew can in the car and I just used that instead.” Speakman also said residue from an earlier Fun Dip Candy “explosion” was still lingering in the car.

Deputies asked for the can to perform a field test for drugs. According to Speakman, the test was positive for codeine.

“I have no idea how that’s possible,” Speakman told The Times Tuesday afternoon. “I’m very anti-drug. I asked why I wasn’t being charged with drugs and they said there wasn’t enough weight to the amount.” Speakman said he was also told there wasn’t enough residue to send off for more testing.

Speakman said he is a staunch supporter of law enforcement, and doesn’t harbor any ill will. “I don’t blame the deputies at all,” he said. “They were just doing their job. They showed me the field test result.” He also said he would be talking to an attorney, though he admitted the last couple of days of his life have been hectic. If found guilty on the charges, he could face a fine of between $50 and $500.

Speakman said he’s torn over his political campaign.

“As far as the race, I don’t know if I should continue. I’ve had a lot of people tell me to stay in. So many people have supported me, do support me and all the effort put in [to the campaign] … I have to think about it.”

The District 2 race fields three candidates for associate county commissioner: Incumbent Garry Marchman, Speakman, and Richard Barnett.

Josh Speakman sent the following statement to The Times late Tuesday night after this story was posted.

May I start by expressing my sincere apology to all who have been affected by the unfortunate event that occurred Saturday evening. I apologize to the great officers at the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office for the unwarranted and unfair attention they have suffered. I apologize to the wonderful people in this community who put their faith in me and my leadership… both in my community advocate capacity as well as my political campaign. Let me be very clear, I take full responsibility for the incident and hold myself solely and completely responsible for the complicated situation in which I now find myself.

After a traffic stop and a thorough search of the vehicle the deputies informed me there was a problem with what they had found. There was an open bottle of wine on the back seat which in a dry county constitutes as illegal possession of alcohol. Then he informed me the slight dusting on top of an empty Mountain Dew can field tested positive for codeine and I was being arrested for illegal possession of alcohol as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. The alcohol was a foolish mistake that I own. The Mountain Dew can was in my cup holder and to my knowledge only had mouthwash residue and a slight dusting of fundip candy. I have no knowledge of any codeine being on the can or in my company at all. There was not enough there to be tested for controlled substance… just enough to collect on a cotton swab for a field test. Please note that I was not arrested for DUI because I was not drinking. I registered 0.0% on the multiple breathalyzer tests administered. I voluntarily went for a drug test at West Point Family Care which resulted in a complete negative panel.

My decision to run for office was not one of self-serving personal gain nor was it an aspiration to power or privilege. My intention was to be a true voice for the people I represent and to use my experience working with multiple organizations and government entities to ensure the progress of our county. I have dedicated most of my time and resources to helping those less fortunate and was hopeful to win a position in county leadership to allow me to be of greater service to this community. I knew we could build a team founded on truth and working together towards a common goal. I know this because I have spent the last 15 years building a network of like-minded individuals who are hardworking, compassionate, and generous. I call this network my Hometeam Network and I have been blessed to be able to witness the incredible acts of kindness we have been able to accomplish by working together towards a common goal. I knew if we applied the same formula to county leadership this community could be a driving force in the State. I was sure we would be able to make a difference… represent this community well… and together through compromise and teamwork truly make a better quality of life for the people of Cullman.

I understand my irresponsible actions have caused great distrust and disappointment throughout the community and I accept and own that fact. There is no words I can offer that would accurately express the depth of remorse by which I am consumed. I apologize to everyone who supported my campaign and had faith in me… your trust and encouragement was inspiring and invigorating. I apologize to my family who are the absolute definition of amazing and have loved me unconditionally through all my success and failure… this has certainly caused them suffering which none of them deserved. I apologize to those in the Hometeam Network who have had faith in me and worked together with me to build this phenomenal force. Together we have made the impossible a reality for so many individuals lifting them up out of an unfortunate situation and into a positive light. We have been a great blessing to so many. The greatest blessing was the one I received by having the opportunity to organize and maintain such a incredible, compassionate group of God-loving people. I apologize to Sheriff Matt Gentry and the Sheriff’s deputies for the unnecessary assumptions and hateful accusations they suffered through the anger of those who were defending me… I have always been a dedicated advocate of the Sheriff’s Office and fault them none in this… they were simply doing their job and sworn duty. I can’t explain how the field test came back positive for codeine when the can was littered with mouthwash residue and fundip. I can tell you when showed the results of the test the marker was black indicating a positive result and the officers simply followed protocol from that point. Regarding the alcohol, I was aware of the regulations and transport laws but was just careless with my actions. Since I wasn’t drinking, I thought nothing of it. It wasn’t out of arrogance, entitlement, or ego considering myself above the law or in anyway privileged. It was simply a very careless and foolish mistake that I gave no consideration to the weight of its consequence.

I have disappointed everyone I know. I have betrayed the trust of those who have invested so much in me over the years. I have jeopardized the opportunity for which I have spent the last 15 years preparing. I have caused pain and sowed distrust to some of the most phenomenal people one could ever call a friend. Possibly the worst is the great injustice to the community in which I love… The plan was there before me and the path was clear… the restoration of teamwork and cooperation would have been immediate bringing all parties back to the table. All lost because of one foolish mistake… just thinking about that weighs very heavy on my soul.

I appreciate the support and everyone who has reached out to me or defended me in all of this. As for the campaign, I have so many people tugging and pulling in both directions… the local Republican committee did reach out to me asking what my intentions were and I asked for some time to think about it. Had all this been for me and my personal agenda I would have withdrawn instantly without hesitation, however, the purpose of this campaign was much larger than myself. With united leadership we would have been an impressive machine that would have been stopped by no obstacle in its efforts to bring opportunity and advancement to this community. Like I said, I will need a couple days to decide what path is best for me right now… and I appreciate all the phone calls and messages of encouragement and support I have received… I appreciate you, the reader, for caring enough to read this long sentiment… I am blessed more than I deserve and thankful for each blessing. I appreciate everything this community has done for me and sincerely and deeply apologize for any grief or stress my careless actions may have caused. I will continue to serve as a community advocate regardless of the future of the campaign. I will always provide help to those less fortunate. I love Cullman… I love the people… and I am proud to be a member of this community.