The Wash100 Popular Vote continues to energize the GovCon community, as leaders from government, military and industry compete for the top spot. With thousands of votes already cast, this year’s rankings showcase a dynamic mix of defense officials, cabinet leaders and private-sector executives whose influence is shaping the future of the federal landscape.
Make your voice heard—cast your vote today to help decide who rises on this year’s leaderboard!
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Who Is Leading the 2026 Wash100 Popular Vote?
The Wash100 Popular Vote is currently led by Hung Cao, who has surged far ahead of the field with 2,184 votes. The under secretary of the Navy and once a candidate for U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, Cao has built a commanding lead that underscores strong enthusiasm among voters for his leadership and vision.
Following behind in a tightly contested cluster are several high-profile cabinet members. Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds second place with 1,500 votes, narrowly ahead of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who sits in third with 1,497 votes.
Rounding out the top five are Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who are currently tied with 1,451 votes each. The close margin between these leaders highlights how quickly the rankings could shift as voting continues.
Which Leaders Are Gaining Momentum Toward the Top?
Just outside the top five, Brandon Daniels, CEO of Exiger, leads the next tier with 862 votes, signaling strong support from the GovCon community. Close behind is Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has garnered 836 votes.
Other notable figures gaining traction include Kelly Loeffler of the Small Business Administration with 473 votes, followed by Tang Pham of AT&T with 400 votes.
Movement in this range is already visible. Rohit Gupta of Aretum climbed one position this week to reach 358 votes, edging ahead of Adel Al-Saleh of SES, who is finishing the week with 356 votes.
The remainder of the top 15 features prominent GovCon executives and defense leaders, including:
- Carey Smith, chair, president and CEO of Parsons (12th place; 312 votes)
- Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force (13th place; 308 votes)
- Kirsten Davies, Department of War chief information security officer (14th place; 292 votes)
- DeEtte Gray, president of U.S. operations at CACI (15th place; 255 votes) and last year’s Popular Vote winner!
With relatively tight margins in this group, continued voting could quickly reshape the order. Make an impact in the race—cast your vote today!
Who Is Competing Closely Across GovCon and Defense?
The top 15 rankings highlight industry leaders’ growing momentum.
John Mengucci, president and CEO of CACI, raced into 16th, moving up four ranks in week four with 229 votes, followed closely by Stephanie Mango, president of CGI Federal, with 226 votes.
Several industry leaders have dominated the top 30. Srini Attili, CEO of SAIC, moved up in the ranking with 222 votes, overtaking John Phelan, secretary of the Navy, with 221 votes.
Additional leaders in this competitive tier include:
- John Heneghan, president of ECS (20th place; 212 votes)
- Hon. Michael Duffey, Department of War under secretary (21st place; 190 votes)
- Matt Tait, president and CEO of MANTECH (22nd place; 162 votes)
- Sonny Bhagowalia, chief information officer of the Department of Homeland Security (23rd place; 156 votes)
- La’Naia Jones, chief information officer of the CIA (24th place; 149 votes)
Rounding out the top 30 are senior military and national security leaders such as Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Daniel Driscoll of the U.S. Army, Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd of the National Security Agency, Adm. Samuel Paparo of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Gen. Chance Saltzman of the U.S. Space Force. Finally, Barbara Supplee of SAIC snagged another spot for industry, closing today’s rankings with 123 votes.
How Could the Leaderboard Change Next?
With strong participation from across the government contracting and defense communities, the 2026 Wash100 Popular Vote remains wide open. Early leaders have established momentum, but close margins across much of the leaderboard mean that the standings could shift rapidly as more votes come in.
As supporters rally behind their favorite leaders, the coming days promise plenty of movement on the leaderboard—making now the perfect time for voters to make their voices heard in one of GovCon’s most closely watched competitions.
Cast your vote in the Wash100 Popular Vote today and show your support for the leaders shaping the future of government, defense and the GovCon industry.
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