What comes first, the book or the office? It seems that to become a successful politician, there needs to be a book deal at some point, whether while in office or after serving. Whether it’s a book deal with a publisher or a self-published memoir or biography, there appears to be an unwritten law that a novel is a necessary part of campaigns and notoriety. California Governor Gavin Newsom has become the latest to publish a book, but that isn’t the news. The fact that the governor’s own PAC spent $1.5 million to buy copies to boost sales is the real news. It’s more than any political action committee had ever spent on a politician’s book before.
$1.5 Million Spent on Newsom Memoir
There has been a lot of speculation about whether Newsom is going to run for president, and though he hasn’t confirmed such designs, publishing a memoir and spending more than $1.5 million to purchase his own book might be an indication the Democrat is eyeing the Oval Office for 2028. The governor’s political action committee (PAC) is responsible for buying up around two-thirds of all copies sold of Young Man in a Hurry, helping to propel it to the New York Times bestsellers list. According to Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click, the PAC bought about 67,000 copies out of the 97,400 total sold.
The book campaign, which started in November last year, asked supporters to donate to receive a copy of the book. "We were thrilled with the response," Click told the New York Times. "Our goal was to deepen the relationship between him and the millions of folks who have already expressed support for Governor Newsom’s work."
Young Man in a Hurry is about Newsom in his earlier years, dealing with being dyslexic, growing up with divorced parents, and, of course, his political career. “It's a good book,” Newsom posted on Facebook. “Very personal. Not your normal political book at all. But of course, there will be a bunch of political stories you'll enjoy.”
Despite spending so much money buying up copies to hand out to people, Newsom’s book tour, which included visiting several cities across the country, drew criticism from those accusing him of abandoning his leadership over California and rigging his book sales to push the memoir onto the bestsellers list.
Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, told Fox Digital that she thinks the governor is trying to “rebrand his national image” while deserting his state’s needs. “Gavin Newsom’s ‘bestseller’ memoir just got the ultimate California treatment: His PAC dropped $1.56 million of donor cash to buy 67,000 free copies and mail them to anyone who donated any amount,” she posted on X. “That’s two-thirds of all print sales. Nothing says ‘Young Man in a Hurry’ like rigging your own book numbers with political slush funds while California burns.”
Although the book ranks on the bestseller list, there is a way to tell that the spot was influenced by a bulk purchase. “When The Times has reason to believe that sales of a book include a mix of organic and bulk sales, the book’s best-seller ranking is accompanied by a dagger,” Nicole Taylor, spokesperson for The Times, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “That’s what we did with the Newsom book.”
Politicians Boosting Book Sales
Politicians and political hopefuls have been writing books and using campaign funds or other methods to promote their books for decades. In 1995, Alfonse D’Amato (R-NY) ran for re-election and asked the FEC for permission to buy copies of his book, Power, Pasta, and Politics, to give as thank you gifts to donors. The FEC agreed it was allowable, as long as he didn’t receive royalties from the purchases. Since then, candidates have been following the same practice.
In 2012, Herman Cain (R-FL) published his book, This is Herman Cain, which debuted at #4 on the New York Times bestseller list. He spent approximately $100,000 for the campaign.
Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, promoted his memoir, What Are the Odds? From Crack Addict to CEO, while running for Minnesota governor. He launched his campaign on December 11, 2025, raised about $353,000 in donations in just a couple of weeks, then turned around and bought nearly $190,000 worth of his autobiographies.
“When we’re going around to all the places in Minnesota, other people are giving a flyer,” Lindell said at the time. “I’m giving them the whole book so they know who I am.”
“Fight for the People PAC, the main political group for former Vice President Kamala Harris, who released her own memoir in 2026,” The New York Times wrote. “She paid the publishing house $97,524 in January.”
Copies of Donald Trump Jr.’s book, Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us, was published in 2019, and the Republican National Committee spent nearly $100,000 on copies. During the 2024 election, the RNC paid Winning Team Publishing, which Trump Jr. co-founded, $217,402.32 for “printing/graphic services.”
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) earned $2.5 million in book advances and royalties between 2011 and 2022. During that time, he also bought $843,000 worth of books from his publishers.
A Forbes’ 2020 report mentioned a few other notable politicians and their book sales including, Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) who earned $382,500 that year in book sales while her campaign spent $12,774.38 on her book; Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) earned $278,210 and spent $19,751.02; and Tim Scott (R-SC) earned $85,000 and spent $6,511.01.
No one, however, comes close to Newsom’s $1.5 million investment. There’s no doubt that kind of funds thrown at the book boosted it to the bestsellers list, and while he isn’t doing anything countless other politicians before him haven’t done, it does lend credence to the speculation the Golden State’s governor has his sites set on a higher office.
