The 12th week of voting in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition continued to showcase strong momentum across the leaderboard, with several contenders climbing into higher positions and tightening competition in the top 10. Compared to Week 11, movement just outside the top five and within the upper-middle tier stood out as key developments.
Who Led the Wash100 Popular Vote in Week 12?
For the 12th consecutive week, Hung Cao of the U.S. Department of the Navy held the top ranking with 2,458 votes, maintaining his lead as the contest progressed.
Srini Attili of SAIC remained firmly in second place with 1,998 votes, continuing to close the gap at the top after his major surge in Week 11.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio ranked third with 1,866 votes, followed by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in fourth place with 1,810 votes.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth secured fifth place with 1,751 votes, while former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held sixth place with 1,623 votes, keeping the top tier competitive.
Which Wash100 Winners Surged the Most in Week 12?
Several contenders made notable upward moves compared to Week 11, particularly in the top 10.
DOT CDIO Pavan Pidugu delivered one of the most significant climbs of the week, advancing to No. 7 with 1,214 votes, continuing his rapid ascent since entering the rankings.
Adel Al-Saleh of SES also posted a major jump, breaking into the top 10 at No. 8 with 1,177 votes, strengthening his standing among the leading industry executives.
DeEtte Gray of CACI climbed into the No. 10 position with 1,092 votes, reinforcing her continued upward trajectory.
CACI CEO John Mengucci followed closely, rising to 12th place with 1,050 votes, continuing to build on his momentum from prior weeks.
How Did the Remaining Leaders Perform?
In the upper tier, Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels ranked ninth with 1,153 votes, while Gen. Dan Caine of the Joint Chiefs of Staff secured 11th place with 1,063 votes.
Rohit Gupta of Aretum held 13th place with 924 votes, followed by Matt Desch of Iridium in 14th place with 659 votes and Gen. Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force in 15th place with 639 votes.
Kelly Loeffler of the Small Business Administration ranked 16th with 623 votes, while Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll secured 17th place with 446 votes, continuing his steady climb.
In the middle of the rankings, Steve Escaravage of Booz Allen placed 18th with 431 votes, followed by Tang Pham of AT&T in 19th place with 426 votes.
A tie at 20th place included DOW CIO Kirsten Davies and CGI Federal President Stephanie Mango, each with 423 votes.
Further down the leaderboard, Carey Smith of Parsons ranked 22nd with 372 votes, while Jake Frazer of Precision Talent Solutions climbed to 23rd place with 314 votes.
La’Naia Jones of the CIA secured 24th place with 285 votes, followed by Navy Secretary John Phelan in 25th place with 276 votes.
Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp of NGA ranked 26th with 274 votes, while MANTECH CEO Matt Tait placed 27th with 251 votes.
Rounding out the leaderboard, Hon. Michael Duffey of the Department of War secured 28th place with 250 votes, Barbara Supplee of SAIC ranked 29th with 233 votes, and CBP CIO Sonny Bhagowalia completed the standings in 30th place with 221 votes.
Week 12 of the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition highlighted continued upward momentum among several contenders, particularly Pavan Pidugu and Adel Al-Saleh, whose climbs reshaped the top 10. With Srini Attili continuing to gain ground near the top and multiple leaders advancing in the middle tier, the competition remained highly dynamic heading into the last week of voting.
Let your voice be heard and shape the final results of the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition by voting for your favorite GovCon leader here.
