Complex sentence: Harper ran for the Canadian House of Commons in the 1988 federal election, appearing on the ballot as "Steve Harper" in Calgary West and losing by a wide margin to Hawkes, his former employer.
Split into simpler sentences: Harper ran for the Canadian House of Commons in the 1988 federal election, appearing on the ballot as "Steve Harper" in Calgary West. He lost by a wide margin to Hawkes, his former employer.