Gavin Newsom has spent roughly a fifth of his second term outside the state — including on a $2 million memoir promotional tour that’s taken the him on high-end stays in Miami, New York City, Atlanta, and Las Vegas.
The runaway gov. has taken 45 out-of-state trips since 2023 – which equates to 229 travel days, or two total months each year – as he plots a White House bid in 2028, according to an analysis of his schedule by The Press Democrat.
Just this year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has spent at least two weeks out of state in 2026, traveling across the U.S. and overseas to promote his memoir – including a stop at Austin’s SXSW festival –along with appearances in key early Democratic primary states.
His travel has also taken him to Europe on two major trips, including a four-to-five-day visit to Davos, Switzerland, where he criticized President Donald Trump, and a stop in Germany for the Munich Security Conference.
He later traveled to London to sign a clean energy agreement with the United Kingdom,
Newsom has racked up close to $136,000 in travel-related expenses in 2026 through his PAC, Campaign for Democracy — plus another $58,000 on venue rentals and a whopping $1.6 million buying up copies of his own book, “Young Man in a Hurry.”
Newsom’s book PR blitz, a time-worn tactic for presidential hopefuls, took him through key Democratic primary states like Nevada and South Carolina as well as New York City, Austin, Miami Atlanta, Nashville, and Boston.
Newsom’s PAC recorded thousands in charges throughout March at choice hotels like the Intercontinental Boston, New York City’s Le Méridien and the Four Seasons hotels in Las Vegas and Palm Beach.
In Atlanta, Newsom’s PAC spent $16,500 renting the Georgia State University Rialto Center for a book talk with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens — where he was pilloried for quoting his 960 SAT score in an effort to sound relatable. That was followed by four charges at the Candler, a historic art deco hotel in downtown Atlanta.
Newsom also notched four separate charges of $657.61 at the Four Seasons Las Vegas, two bills amounting to $4,346 at Le Meridien Fifth Avenue and a $1350 charge at the Intercontinental Boston, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Newsom’s multi-leg book tour kicked off in Nashville in late February, where his PAC also spent roughly $5,300 on meals and lodging at the trendy AC Hotel and Hyatt near downtown.
He continued on with stops in Atlanta, Rock Hill, S.C., New York, Boston and Las Vegas.
Newsom’s spokesperson didn’t respond to questions about the expenses and who accompanied Newsom on the book tour.
However, spokesperson Nathan Click previously told the New York Times that Newsom’s $1.6 million in book purchases “more than paid for itself” because the books, offered for free to donors, encouraged contributions to his campaign.
The frequent travel has fueled criticism that Newsom is checked out of his day job.
“Newsom has ‘quiet quit’ his job as California governor. In his second term, he is spending much more time out of state than he did in his first term,” Marc Joffe, president of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, wrote on X.
Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement his travel “includes official state business, meetings advancing California’s economic and job-creating climate partnerships, political and personal activity conducted in his personal capacity.”
The tally of Newsom’s trips may appear inflated because travel patterns picked up after the Covid pandemic, his office further noted.
Newsom has notched 14 campaign-related trips in 2026, according to the Press Democrat, along with 11 days of “official” travel and three personal travel days.
The California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit run by allies of the governor, often picks up the tab for trips abroad such as Newsom’s jaunt to the Munich Security Conference this year.
Asked who picks up the tab for Newsom’s security staff, his office said it does not comment on security arrangements.
