New York Times Puts Gavin Newsom on Best Sellers List Despite 'Bulk Sales'

The Times has cited such sales to disqualify Republican politicians from its list.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 9:34pm by

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A highly textured, abstract painting featuring overlapping, geometric waves of deep blue, teal, and violet colors, conceptually representing the political controversy around the New York Times Best Sellers list and its treatment of bulk book sales.A fractured, avant-garde painting captures the political tensions surrounding the New York Times Best Sellers list and its handling of bulk book sales.San Francisco Today

The New York Times placed California Governor Gavin Newsom's memoir 'Young Man in a Hurry' on its Best Sellers list, even though Newsom's political action committee purchased tens of thousands of copies in bulk sales - a practice the Times has previously used to disqualify Republican politicians from the list.

Why it matters

This case raises questions about the Times' standards for determining Best Seller status and whether political bias may play a role, as the paper has excluded Republican authors in the past for similar bulk sales tactics.

The details

Newsom's PAC, Campaign for Democracy, disclosed paying over $1.5 million to a book distributor for 67,000 copies of the memoir, which accounted for nearly three-quarters of the 91,000 copies sold. The Times acknowledged the bulk sales but still included the book on its list, marking it with a 'dagger' icon. In contrast, the Times previously excluded Republican Senator Ted Cruz's book from the list due to 'bulk purchases', despite his sales being a fraction of Newsom's.

  • In early November 2025 through late January 2026, Newsom offered copies of the book to supporters who contributed to his PAC.
  • In January 2026, Newsom's PAC made two payments totaling over $1.5 million to a book distributor for 67,000 copies of the memoir.
  • On March 4, 2026, Newsom's team announced the book had sold 91,000 copies through 'organic, in-person and online, non-bulk purchases'.
  • On March 8, 2026, the book did not appear on the Times' Best Sellers list.
  • On March 15, 2026, the book appeared on the Times' Best Sellers list at #4, with a small 'dagger' icon indicating 'bulk sales'.

The players

Gavin Newsom

The Democratic Governor of California who published the memoir 'Young Man in a Hurry' and used his political action committee to purchase tens of thousands of copies in bulk.

The New York Times

The prominent newspaper that placed Newsom's memoir on its Best Sellers list, despite acknowledging the bulk sales, in contrast to its past treatment of Republican authors.

Ted Cruz

The Republican Senator from Texas whose debut book 'A Time for Truth' was initially excluded from the Times' Best Sellers list in 2015 due to 'bulk purchases', despite selling more copies than most of the Times' bestsellers that week.

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What’s next

It remains to be seen if the New York Times will face further scrutiny over its handling of Newsom's memoir and whether the paper will apply its 'bulk sales' standards more consistently across the political spectrum.

The takeaway

This case highlights concerns over potential political bias in the New York Times' Best Sellers list curation, as the paper has used 'bulk sales' to exclude Republican authors in the past while allowing a prominent Democratic politician to benefit from the same practice.