California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s memoir, Young Man in a Hurry, shot up the bestseller lists shortly after its release in February and has sold almost 100,000 print copies to date. But about two thirds of that number are due to a bulk purchase of the books by the Democrat’s political action committee, the New York Times reports.
Newsom’s memoir, published by Penguin Press, tells the story of his early life and career, including his tenure as mayor of San Francisco as well as lieutenant governor and governor of California. A critic for Kirkus called the book “an engaging portrait of resilience and drive, complicated by proximity to wealth and influence.”
Newsom’s PAC, the Campaign for Democracy Committee, purchased approximately 67,000 copies of the book under a promotion that sent the memoir to people who donated any amount to the organization. The PAC spent $1,561,875 on the promotion, the Times reports.
Newsom, who is prohibited by term limits from seeking reelection this year, is widely considered a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 2028. He is one of several possible candidates with recent or forthcoming books, including former Vice President Kamala Harris (107 Days), New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker (Stand), Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy (Crisis of the Common Good), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (Where We Keep the Light), and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (Go and Do Likewise).
Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Newsom, told the Times that the promotion was profitable, generating more money than the cost of the books. Click said that Newsom did not receive royalties for the copies bought in the promotion.
“We were thrilled with the response,” he 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.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the name of the Kentucky governor. It’s Andy Beshear, not Steve.
