The ninth week of voting in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition showed continued momentum across the leaderboard, particularly Rohit Gupta and Steve Escaravage, whose climbs significantly reshaped the middle of the leaderboard. while overall vote totals continued to rise. Compared to Week 8, movement in the middle tier stood out as a defining trend.
Who Held the Top Spots in Week 9?
For the ninth consecutive week, Hung Cao of the U.S. Department of the Navy maintained the No. 1 ranking with 2,341 votes, continuing to lead the field.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio held second place with 1,716 votes, followed by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in third place with 1,674 votes.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ranked fourth with 1,623 votes, while former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem secured fifth place with 1,549 votes, keeping the top five tightly grouped once again.
Which Winners Took the Biggest Leaps in Week 9?
Several contenders delivered standout climbs compared to Week 8, particularly in the top 15.
Rohit Gupta of Aretum made one of the most significant moves of the week, breaking into the top 10 at No. 8 with 614 votes, jumping from outside the top 10 previously and marking one of the strongest surges in Week 9.
Steve Escaravage of Booz Allen also posted a major climb, advancing to 14th place with 397 votes after debuting at No. 25 in Week 8—one of the largest upward moves across the leaderboard.
CACI CEO John Mengucci continued his upward momentum, rising to 11th place with 549 votes, strengthening his position among the leading industry executives.
DeEtte Gray of CACI reinforced her top-tier presence, ranking ninth with 584 votes, while Gen. Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force held a strong 12th place with 529 votes.
Further upward movement included Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, who advanced to 19th place with 344 votes, continuing his steady climb through the rankings.
How Did the Rest of the Leaders Perform?
In the upper tier behind the top five, Brandon Daniels, CEO of Exiger, ranked sixth with 1,039 votes, while Gen. Dan Caine of the Joint Chiefs of Staff secured seventh place with 968 votes.
Kelly Loeffler of the Small Business Administration placed 10th with 568 votes, maintaining a strong presence in the top 10.
In the middle ranks, Tang Pham of AT&T ranked 13th with 414 votes, while DOW CIO Kirsten Davies and CGI Federal President Stephanie Mango shared 15th place with 370 votes each.
Adel Al-Saleh of SES followed in 17th place with 366 votes, while Carey Smith of Parsons ranked 18th with 351 votes.
Srini Attili of SAIC held 20th place with 313 votes, followed by John Phelan of the U.S. Department of the Navy in 21st place with 258 votes.
Further down the leaderboard, Jake Frazer of Precision Talent Solutions ranked 22nd with 242 votes, while Matt Tait of ManTech placed 23rd with 233 votes.
Hon. Michael Duffey of the Department of War secured 24th place with 230 votes, followed by La’Naia Jones of the CIA in 25th place with 227 votes.
John Heneghan of ASGN ranked 26th with 218 votes, while Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp of NGA placed 27th with 214 votes.
At the bottom of the leaderboard, Sonny Bhagowalia of DHS and Barbara Supplee of SAIC shared 28th place with 196 votes, and Adm. Samuel Paparo of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command rounded out the rankings in 30th place with 189 votes.
Week 9 highlighted continued upward momentum among several contenders. With steady gains across the board and increasing competition within the top 10, the race remained highly dynamic heading into the next round.
With the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition coming to its final weeks, make a push for your favorite GovCon leaders by voting for them here.
