Outside the courthouse, Gillum thanked his family, wife, legal team and pastor for their support, but took a dig at prosecutors.

“They have quite literally tried to take everything from us. And the beauty is in our system the powers that be don’t always get to decide. Everyday people like you and me sometimes get our swing at the ball,” he said.

Asked about what comes next, Gillum said “sleep” as he walked away from a gaggle of news reporters.

Gillum had faced a potentially lengthy prison sentence if convicted, although, under federal sentencing guidelines, he would have likely gotten far less than the maximum.

The jury came back hung for public relations executive and Gillum adviser, co-defendant Sharon Lettman-Hicks, in the case. Prosecutors said they will also retry her.

Gillum, 43, a former Tallahassee mayor, sought to become the first Black governor in Florida history when he took on DeSantis in 2018. Gillum lost by fewer than 34,000 votes to DeSantis, triggering an automatic recount.