The fifth week of voting in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition continued to show steady engagement across the GovCon community, with several contenders climbing the leaderboard while the top tier remained tightly contested. Multiple leaders in the middle ranks made notable upward moves compared with the previous week, highlighting how quickly momentum can reshape the standings.
Make your mark by voting for your favorite Wash100 winner this week.
Who Maintained the Lead in Week 5?
For the fifth consecutive week, Hung Cao of the U.S. Department of the Navy held the No. 1 ranking with 2,189 votes, maintaining a commanding lead in the contest.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio remained in second place with 1,513 votes, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard followed closely in third place with 1,508 votes.
Just behind them, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ranked fourth with 1,464 votes, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem secured fifth place with 1,458 votes, keeping the race among the top five exceptionally tight.
Which Leaders Strengthened Their Positions in the Top 15?
Several contenders built momentum in the upper half of the leaderboard.
Brandon Daniels, CEO of Exiger, remained the highest-ranking industry executive in sixth place with 863 votes.
Tang Pham of AT&T secured ninth place with 402 votes, maintaining a strong top-10 showing.
Rohit Gupta of Aretum continued his strong run in 10th place with 359 votes, holding the top-10 position he climbed into last week.
Just outside the top 10, Adel Al-Saleh of SES ranked 11th with 358 votes.
A tie emerged in 12th place, where Carey Smith of Parsons and Gen. Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force each recorded 316 votes.
DOW CIO Kirsten Davies held 14th place with 296 votes, while DeEtte Gray of CACI secured 15th place with 267 votes.
Who Made the Biggest Climbs in the Middle and Lower Rankings?
Several leaders posted notable upward moves this week.
CGI Federal President Stephanie Mango continued her upward momentum, climbing into 16th place with 264 votes.
CACI CEO John Mengucci made one of the most notable climbs of the week, rising to 17th place with 235 votes after previously ranking 20th.
Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp of NGA also climbed the leaderboard, reaching 25th place with 140 votes.
Adm. Samuel Paparo of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command advanced to 27th place with 130 votes, marking another upward move in the lower tier.
Elsewhere in the middle of the rankings, Srini Attili of SAIC ranked 18th with 228 votes, followed by John Phelan of the U.S. Department of the Navy in 19th place with 224 votes and John Heneghan of ECS in 20th place with 213 votes.
Hon. Michael Duffey of the Department of War ranked 21st with 192 votes, while Matt Tait of ManTech held 22nd place with 166 votes.
Sonny Bhagowalia of DHS secured 23rd place with 158 votes, and La’Naia Jones of the CIA ranked 24th with 153 votes.
Rounding out the standings, Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll ranked 26th with 138 votes, Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd of the NSA tied for 27th place with 130 votes, and Barbara Supplee of SAIC placed 29th with 127 votes.
Gen. Chance Saltzman of the U.S. Space Force debuted in 30th place with 126 votes, entering the leaderboard as a new contender in Week 5.
Week 5 highlighted continued engagement and movement throughout the rankings. While the top tier remained largely stable, several leaders posted notable climbs, demonstrating how sustained voter support can quickly shift the standings as the contest progresses.
Take matters into your hands by voting for your favorite GovCon leader this week in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition.
