Complex sentence: In "one of the stranger Congressional elections of modern times", incumbent Greg Laughlin switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican side in 1995, and the Republican National Committee, hoping to encourage other Democrats to switch parties, threw its full support behind Laughlin.
Split into simpler sentences: In "one of the stranger Congressional elections of modern times", the incumbent Greg Laughlin switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican in 1995. The Republican National Committee, hoping to encourage other Democrats to switch parties, threw its full support behind Laughlin.