The 10th week of voting in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition brought continued growth in vote totals and several notable climbs across the leaderboard. Compared to Week 9, movement within the top 10 and the introduction of new high-ranking contenders reshaped the competitive landscape, particularly in the middle tier.
Did Government Leaders Maintain Their Lead in Week 10?
For the 10th consecutive week, Hung Cao of the U.S. Department of the Navy held the No. 1 ranking with 2,365 votes, continuing to lead the field.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio remained in second place with 1,752 votes, followed by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in third place with 1,699 votes.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ranked fourth with 1,650 votes, while former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem secured fifth place with 1,559 votes, keeping the top tier stable and tightly grouped.
Which Awardees Shook Up the List in Week 10?
Week 10 featured several standout climbers, particularly within the top 15.
Srini Attili of SAIC delivered one of the most significant surges of the week, jumping into seventh place with 1,115 votes after ranking outside the top 15 in Week 9—marking one of the most dramatic upward moves in the competition so far.
New entrant Matt Desch of Iridium made an immediate impact, debuting in 10th place with 653 votes, signaling strong voter backing.
Another notable new addition, DOT CDIO Pavan Pidugu, entered the rankings at 13th place with 597 votes, further reshaping the top 15.
Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll continued his upward momentum, climbing to 16th place with 425 votes, building on his steady rise in previous weeks.
CGI Federal President Stephanie Mango also advanced, reaching 19th place with 392 votes, continuing her consistent climb through the middle ranks.
How Did the Rest of the Leaderboard Perform?
In the upper tier behind the top five, Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels ranked sixth with 1,138 votes, maintaining his position as the highest-ranking industry executive.
Gen. Dan Caine of the Joint Chiefs of Staff secured eighth place with 989 votes, while Rohit Gupta of Aretum ranked ninth with 700 votes, continuing his strong presence in the top 10.
DeEtte Gray of CACI placed 11th with 624 votes, followed by Gen. Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force in 12th place with 610 votes.
CACI CEO John Mengucci held 14th place with 585 votes, while Kelly Loeffler of the Small Business Administration ranked 15th with 576 votes.
In the middle of the rankings, Tang Pham of AT&T placed 17th with 417 votes, followed closely by Steve Escaravage of Booz Allen in 18th place with 415 votes.
DOW CIO Kirsten Davies ranked 20th with 379 votes, while Adel Al-Saleh of SES secured 21st place with 377 votes and Carey Smith of Parsons placed 22nd with 356 votes.
Further down the leaderboard, Jake Frazer of Precision Talent Solutions climbed into 23rd place with 289 votes, while Navy Secretary John Phelan ranked 24th with 260 votes.
La’Naia Jones of the CIA secured 25th place with 245 votes, followed by ManTech CEO Matt Tait in 26th place with 242 votes and Hon. Michael Duffey of the Department of War in 27th place with 234 votes.
Rounding out the standings, Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp of NGA ranked 28th with 232 votes, John Heneghan of ASGN placed 29th with 219 votes, and Barbara Supplee of SAIC completed the leaderboard in 30th place with 212 votes.
Week 10 of the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition underscored continued momentum and shifting dynamics across the rankings. With Attili’s surge into the top 10 and strong debuts from Desch and Pidugu, the competition saw meaningful reshuffling, particularly in the upper-middle tier, as the race continued to intensify.
Speak up and shake up next week’s rankings by voting for your favorite Wash100 winner now!
