The eighth week of voting in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition continued to reflect strong engagement across the GovCon community, with several contenders climbing into higher positions and tightening competition across the middle tiers. Compared to Week 7, upward movement within the top 15 and lower ranks stood out as key developments.
Who Led the Rankings in Week 8?
For the eighth consecutive week, Hung Cao of the U.S. Department of the Navy held the No. 1 ranking with 2,305 votes, continuing to extend his lead.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio remained in second place with 1,656 votes, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard ranked third with 1,622 votes.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth secured fourth place with 1,575 votes, followed by outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in fifth place with 1,523 votes, keeping the top five closely grouped.
Which Leaders Posted the Biggest Climbs in Week 8?
Several contenders made notable upward moves compared to Week 7, particularly within the top 15.
CACI CEO John Mengucci delivered one of the most significant climbs of the week, rising to 11th place with 459 votes after ranking just outside the top 10 previously.
DeEtte Gray of CACI continued her strong momentum, holding a top-10 position at No. 10 with 492 votes, further strengthening her standing among the leading industry executives.
CGI Federal President Stephanie Mango continued her upward trajectory, reaching 15th place with 364 votes, while DOW CIO Kirsten Davies climbed to 16th place with 352 votes.
Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll also built on prior gains, advancing to 18th place with 321 votes, reinforcing his continued rise through the middle ranks.
Further down the leaderboard, Jake Frazer of Precision Talent Solutions posted a notable climb, moving into a tie for 21st place with 222 votes, breaking into the top 25.
How Did the Rest of the Leaderboard Shape Up?
In the upper tier behind the top five, Brandon Daniels, CEO of Exiger, ranked sixth with 1,038 votes, while Gen. Dan Caine of the Joint Chiefs of Staff secured seventh place with 933 votes. Kelly Loeffler of the Small Business Administration held eighth place with 550 votes.
Gen. Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force, now listed with Golden Dome for America, ranked ninth with 504 votes, maintaining a strong presence in the top 10.
In the middle of the rankings, Rohit Gupta of Aretum placed 12th with 427 votes, followed by Tang Pham of AT&T in 13th place with 412 votes and Adel Al-Saleh of SES in 14th place with 365 votes.
Carey Smith of Parsons ranked 17th with 346 votes, while Srini Attili of SAIC held 19th place with 294 votes. John Phelan of the U.S. Department of the Navy secured 20th place with 251 votes.
Tied at 21st place with Frazer is Matt Tait of ManTech, with 222 votes.
Further down, Hon. Michael Duffey of the Department of War ranked 23rd with 221 votes, followed by John Heneghan of ECS in 24th place with 216 votes.
A new entrant, Steve Escaravage of Booz Allen, debuted in 25th place with 214 votes, marking one of the notable additions this week.
La’Naia Jones of the CIA ranked 26th with 211 votes, while Barbara Supplee of SAIC secured 27th place with 191 votes.
Rounding out the leaderboard, Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp of NGA ranked 28th with 189 votes, Sonny Bhagowalia of DHS placed 29th with 182 votes, and Adm. Samuel Paparo of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command completed the standings in 30th place with 171 votes.
Week 8 of the 2026 Wash100 popular vote contest highlighted continued upward momentum among several contenders, particularly John Mengucci and Jake Frazer, who pushed into higher tiers of the rankings. With steady gains across the leaderboard and tightening competition in the middle ranks, the race remained dynamic heading into the next phase.
Let your voice be heard and shape next week’s results by voting for your favorite 2026 Wash100 Award winner.
