Complex sentence: The senior Broyhill was a member of the Republican National Committee for 28 years, but for most of that time the party had virtually no presence anywhere in the former Confederacy, including North Carolina.
Split into simpler sentences: The senior Broyhill was a member of the Republican National Committee for 28 years. However, for most of that time the party was almost nonexistent in the former Confederacy, including North Carolina.