Complex sentence: On August 29, in Dayton, Ohio, McCain announced that he had chosen Palin as his running mate, making her the first Alaskan and the second woman to run on a major U.S. party ticket.
Split into simpler sentences: On August 29, in Dayton, Ohio, McCain announced that he had chosen Palin as his running mate. Palin was the first Alaskan and the second woman to run on a major U.S. party ticket.