Complex sentence: Following party leader Paul Hinman's resignation as leader of the Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta, Smith was elected as party leader on October 17,2009 by a 3-to-1 margin.
Split into simpler sentences: Following party leader Paul Hinman's resignation as leader of the Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta, Smith was elected as party leader on October 17,2009. Smith won the contest by a 3-to-1 margin.