Former presidential candidate combines humor and politics in new book

Forward Party founder Andrew Yang is en route to Albany to discuss his new book, a collection of comical but true stories.

By Lillian Magurno, NYS Writers Institute intern

Wednesday, April 2, 2026

In 2020, politician Andrew Yang campaigned for president as a Democrat. In 2021, Yang ran for New York City mayor, also as a Democrat. In 2022, Yang left the Democratic Party to establish a new political party: the Forward Party.

Now in 2026, Yang is breaking down his journey from entrepreneurship to politics in his new book, Hey Yang, Where’s My Thousand Bucks? And Other True Stories of Staggering Depth, an analysis of the changes the U.S. is facing as a nation, with a humorous undertone. Released in February, the book blends comedy with commentary, drawing from real interactions Yang has experienced amid today’s turbulent political climate.

In a world of bitter division and endless outrage, this book is my attempt to break through the noise — with humor, honesty and heart,” Yang said in a statement released through Penguin Random House. “Think of it as an insider’s guide to smiling during crazy times.”

Yang’s book contains anecdotes about his time in the political sphere, from getting into politics ahead ofthe 2020 election to establishing a social media fanbase during his presidential campaign. According to ABC News, Yang’s rapid rise in the Democratic primary was fueled by his loyal and “tech-savvy” supporters, known as the “Yang Gang,” who helped him raise $16.5 million by the end of 2019.

Yang also discusses his candidacy for New York City mayor, which took place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and shortly after his presidential run.

“[The mayoral] race was not fun at all,” Yang wrote in his new book. “It was COVID time, in the winter, and offices were largely shut down. I was walking around campaigning and caught the kind of COVID that knocks you out for days.”

Yang later left the Democratic Party to establish the Forward Party, which advocates breaking away from the two-party system. Yang and co-founder Christine Todd Whitman launched the party under the slogan “Not left. Not right. Forward.”

Since founding the Forward Party, Yang has continued to publish commentary on the state of U.S. politics, including his 2023 book The Last Election.

Andrew Yang

7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16

Page Hall, UAlbany Downtown Campus

135 Western Avenue

Albany NY 12203

Free and open to the public.

Books will be for sale and a signing will follow the conversation and Q&A.