Now that the 2016 Fiscal Year is over contractors are starting to ask how and if the upcoming Presidential election could impact their federal business.  In typical Washington fashion, “it depends”.  Day-to-day business may not be disrupted much, if at all.  The fact that most agencies are operating under a Continuing Resolution is likely to have more impact than who takes occupancy at the White House.  Immediate priorities are unlikely to change, either. Cyber security, for example, will continue to be the #1 federal IT priority.  There will, of course, be new people.  This fact will also likely be used as both a “reason” and an “excuse” for not moving ahead with specific projects.  While it is sometimes difficult to tell which is which, genuine reasons are likely to be used for higher dollar projects and/or those with high public visibility.  It is also true that most government transitions do result in a temporary slowdown as new people get up to speed and subordinates figure out how to best work with the new top people.  For most government contractors, though, change at the top of the federal government may cause little more than a speed bump.  That does not mean, however, that hanging out in Washington D.C. the third week in January will be much fun.