The 11th week of voting in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition delivered one of the most dynamic shifts in the leaderboard to date, highlighted by a major surge into the top tier and continued upward momentum across the middle ranks. Compared to Week 10, several contenders posted significant climbs, reshaping the top 10 and tightening the race behind the frontrunner.
What Are the Movements at the Top in Week 11?
For the 11th consecutive week, Hung Cao of the U.S. Department of the Navy maintained the No. 1 ranking with 2,425 votes, extending his lead as the contest progressed.
The biggest development at the top came from Srini Attili of SAIC, who surged from seventh to second place with 1,900 votes, marking the most significant climb of the week after ranking outside the top five in Week 10.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio ranked third with 1,829 votes, followed by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in fourth place with 1,769 votes.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth secured fifth place with 1,718 votes, while former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held sixth place with 1,602 votes, keeping the upper tier highly competitive.
Which Leaders Posted the Biggest Climbs in Week 11?
Several contenders delivered standout upward moves compared to Week 10, particularly in the top 10.
While Attili’s jump into No. 2 represented the most dramatic rise of the week, DOT CDIO Pavan Pidugu also posted a significant climb, breaking into the top 10 at No. 8 with 1,116 votes, continuing his strong momentum after debuting at 13th the previous week.
DeEtte Gray of CACI advanced into the 10th position with 1,008 votes, strengthening her presence among the top performers.
CACI CEO John Mengucci climbed further into the top tier, reaching 11th place with 981 votes, while Rohit Gupta of Aretum secured 12th place with 911 votes, maintaining his upward trajectory.
How Did the Rest of the Leaders Do?
Behind the top climbers, several leaders continued to build momentum.
Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels ranked seventh with 1,145 votes, remaining the highest-ranked industry executive.
Gen. Dan Caine of the Joint Chiefs of Staff secured ninth place with 1,033 votes, while Adel Al-Saleh of SES moved into 13th place with 701 votes.
Matt Desch of Iridium ranked 14th with 653 votes, followed by Gen. Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force in 15th place with 628 votes and Kelly Loeffler of the Small Business Administration in 16th place with 600 votes.
In the middle tier, Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll climbed to 17th place with 435 votes, while Steve Escaravage of Booz Allen ranked 18th with 424 votes and Tang Pham of AT&T held 19th place with 421 votes.
CGI Federal President Stephanie Mango secured 20th place with 411 votes, followed by DOW CIO Kirsten Davies in 21st place with 402 votes and Carey Smith of Parsons in 22nd place with 365 votes.
Further down the leaderboard, Jake Frazer of Precision Talent Solutions ranked 23rd with 297 votes, while Navy Secretary John Phelan placed 24th with 272 votes.
La’Naia Jones of the CIA secured 25th place with 264 votes, followed by Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp of NGA in 26th place with 257 votes.
Rounding out the standings, MANTECH CEO Matt Tait ranked 27th with 246 votes, Hon. Michael Duffey of the Department of War placed 28th with 245 votes, and John Heneghan of ASGN and Barbara Supplee of SAIC tied for 29th place with 219 votes each.
Week 11 of the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition marked a turning point in the competition, with Srini Attili’s surge into second place and Pavan Pidugu’s climb into the top 10 reshaping the upper tier. As multiple contenders continued to gain ground, the race remained highly dynamic heading into the final stretch.
As we come closer to the end of the contest, you have the opportunity to shape the final results by voting for your favorite 2026 Wash100 winner. Cast your votes here.
