The seventh week of voting in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition reflected continued momentum across the leaderboard, with several contenders climbing into higher tiers while vote totals steadily increased. Compared to Week 6, movement in the top 15 stood out, particularly among industry leaders gaining ground against a still-dominant group of public officials.
Who Maintained the Lead in Week 7?
For the seventh consecutive week, Hung Cao of the U.S. Department of the Navy held the top spot with 2,265 votes, continuing to extend his lead.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio remained in second place with 1,603 votes, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard followed in third place with 1,580 votes.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ranked fourth with 1,527 votes, and Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem secured fifth place with 1,498 votes, keeping the top five tightly grouped.
Which Leaders Rose in the Rankings in Week 7?
Several contenders delivered notable upward moves compared to Week 6, particularly in the top 15.
DeEtte Gray of CACI made one of the most significant jumps of the week, breaking into the top 10 with 417 votes after previously ranking 14th.
CACI CEO John Mengucci, also surged into the No. 13 position with 387 votes, continuing his steady climb from the lower end of the top 20 in prior weeks.
CGI Federal President Stephanie Mango continued her upward momentum, reaching 15th place with 354 votes, while Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll strengthened his position at No. 18 with 303 votes after a notable climb in Week 6.
Another strong performer, Gen. Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force, built on last week’s momentum to secure ninth place with 493 votes, further solidifying his position in the top 10.
How Did the Rest of the Leaderboard Shape Up?
In the upper tier behind the top five, Brandon Daniels, CEO of Exiger, remained the highest-ranking industry executive in sixth place with 1,036 votes, while Gen. Dan Caine of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ranked seventh with 903 votes. Kelly Loeffler of the Small Business Administration held eighth place with 534 votes.
Just outside the top 10, Tang Pham of AT&T and Rohit Gupta of Aretum tied for 11th with 408 votes each, maintaining strong support among voters.
Adel Al-Saleh of SES ranked 14th with 362 votes, followed by Carey Smith of Parsons in 16th place with 334 votes and DOW CIO Kirsten Davies in 17th place with 332 votes.
Further down the rankings, Srini Attili of SAIC held 19th place with 291 votes, while John Phelan of the U.S. Department of the Navy secured 20th place with 241 votes.
Additional placements included Matt Tait of ManTech in 21st place with 218 votes, John Heneghan of ECS in 22nd with 214 votes, and Hon. Michael Duffey of the Department of War in 23rd place with 208 votes.
In the lower tier, La’Naia Jones of the CIA ranked 24th with 193 votes, while Barbara Supplee of SAIC climbed to 25th place with 180 votes.
Jake Frazer of Precision Talent Solutions secured 26th place with 177 votes, followed by Sonny Bhagowalia of DHS in 27th place with 173 votes.
Rounding out the leaderboard, Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp of NGA ranked 28th with 169 votes, Adm. Samuel Paparo of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command placed 29th with 155 votes, and Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd of the NSA completed the standings in 30th place with 150 votes.
Week 7 of the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition highlighted continued upward momentum among several contenders, particularly Gray and Mengucci, who pushed into higher tiers of the rankings. While Hung Cao maintained a strong lead, the steady climbs across the leaderboard reinforced the sustained voter support, reshaping the competition heading into the next phase.
Get into the game and give your favorite 2026 Wash100 Award winner a push by casting your vote here.
