The Scouting Report: A weekly digest

Thune takes lead, voting reform snuffed out, apple not far from tree, McCrossan’s majestic Belgian horses

Welcome to a high-energy, holy crap deadline-is-approaching edition of The Scouting Report.

We turn our attention first to Sen. John Thune, who has been the face of Senate Republican leadership following the hospitalization of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell fell March 8 at the Waldorf Astoria, breaking a rib and sustaining a concussion. He was discharged March 13 to a rehabilitation center, and on March 25, he was sent home, where he plans to work before returning to the Senate.

McConnell, 81, was already the longest-serving Senate leader in history. His sudden absence from the Senate has put more attention on who might replace him, and that attention falls on Thune, who is the second-ranking Senate Republican.

When and if McConnell steps down from leadership – his current Senate term expires after the 2026 election – Thune would be a top contender to replace him.