The sixth week of voting in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition brought another round of rising totals and notable upward movement across the leaderboard. Several contenders gained ground compared to Week 5, particularly in the middle tier, while the top five continued to post steady gains as the contest entered its later stages.
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Who Maintained Control of the Top Five?
For the sixth consecutive week, Hung Cao of the U.S. Department of the Navy remained firmly at the top spot with 2,226 votes, continuing to lead the 2026 Wash100 popular vote contest.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio held second place with 1,561 votes, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard ranked third with 1,547 votes, keeping the race for the top tier closely contested.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ranked fourth with 1,501 votes, and Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem secured fifth place with 1,479 votes, rounding out a top five that remained tightly clustered.
Which Leaders Posted the Biggest Climbs in Week 6?
Several contenders posted notable climbs from Week 5, reshaping the middle of the leaderboard.
Gen. Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force made one of the most significant jumps of the week, rising into ninth place with 447 votes after previously ranking 12th.
Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll also posted a major climb, advancing to 18th place with 260 votes after ranking 26th in Week 5.
DeEtte Gray of CACI continued her upward trajectory, climbing to 14th place with 312 votes, while CGI Federal President Stephanie Mango strengthened her momentum in 16th place with 308 votes.
CACI CEO John Mengucci also moved up the leaderboard, securing 17th place with 285 votes after ranking just outside the top 15 in previous weeks.
Rohit Gupta of Aretum held 10th place with 406 votes, while Tang Pham of AT&T ranked 11th with 405 votes, maintaining strong support among voters.
How Did the Rest of the Leaderboard Take Shape?
Several leaders continued building momentum across the remainder of the rankings.
Brandon Daniels, CEO of Exiger, remained the highest-ranked industry executive in sixth place with 984 votes, while Gen. Dan Caine of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ranked seventh with 876 votes. Kelly Loeffler of the Small Business Administration secured eighth place with 496 votes.
Adel Al-Saleh of SES ranked 12th with 362 votes, followed by Carey Smith of Parsons in 13th place with 327 votes.
Just behind them, DOW CIO Kirsten Davies ranked 15th with 311 votes, while Srini Attili of SAIC secured 19th place with 256 votes.
John Phelan of the U.S. Department of the Navy held 20th place with 230 votes, followed by John Heneghan of ECS in 21st place with 213 votes.
Further down the rankings, Matt Tait of ManTech ranked 22nd with 206 votes, while Hon. Michael Duffey of the Department of War secured 23rd place with 199 votes.
La’Naia Jones of the CIA ranked 24th with 174 votes, and Sonny Bhagowalia of DHS placed 25th with 166 votes.
A new entrant appeared this week as Jake Frazer of Precision Talent Solutions debuted in 26th place with 157 votes.
Rounding out the leaderboard, Barbara Supplee of SAIC and Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp of NGA tied for 27th place with 156 votes.
Gen. Chance Saltzman of the U.S. Space Force and Adm. Samuel Paparo of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command tied for 29th place with 142 votes.
Week 6 of the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competitions showed continued engagement and momentum across the rankings. While Hung Cao maintained a clear lead at the top, several contenders—most notably Gen. Michael Guetlein and Daniel Driscoll—posted notable climbs, demonstrating how sustained voter support continued to reshape the leaderboard as the competition progressed.
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