Complex sentence: In 1872, Hurlbut was elected as Republican from Illinois to the U.S. House of Representatives, reelected in 1874, he was defeated for reelection in 1876.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1872, Hurlbut was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican Congressman from Illinois. Elected for a second term in 1874, he was defeated for reelection in 1876.