Newsom's PAC spends $1.5 MILLION to boost his book sales

California Governor Gavin Newsom was able to find a unique way to boost his book sales: using his political action committee to buy them.  

Newsom, a Democrat, offered those supporting him a copy of his new book, “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery,” for any donation amount to his political action committee. Around 67,000 people donated, which accounted for about two thirds of his book sales, per the New York Times. 

On Wednesday, federal filings showed that his political action committee, Campaign for Democracy, used over $1.5 million to purchase as well as fulfill the book orders for those who donated.

The filings labeled the payments as “books at cost” and went to the Porchlight Book Company. The payments were the largest expense for the PAC in the first quarter of 2026.

Newsom’s team, despite shelling out the $1.5 million from the PAC to get the books, says that the effort paid off in the end. 

“We were thrilled with the response,” spokesman Nathan Click said. “Our goal was to deepen the relationship between him and the millions of folks who have already expressed support for Governor Newsom’s work. And as it turns out, the tactic more than paid for itself.”

Newsom’s book sales have only totaled 97,000 print copies, and about two thirds of those came from the donation promotion. “It’s a good book. Very personal. Not your normal political book at all,” Newsom said in the email promoting the memoir. 

The California governor had touted the book sales earlier this year, claiming that 91,000 copies were bought through “organic, in-person and online, non-bulk purchases.”