Complex sentence: He finished in third place behind his opponents, Democrat Maurice Dantin and Republican Thad Cochran, but he received 24 percent of the vote--more than likely siphoning off African-American votes that would have otherwise gone to Dantin.
Split into simpler sentences: He finished in third place behind his opponents, Democrat Maurice Dantin and Republican Thad Cochran. He received 24 percent of the vote--more than likely siphoning off African-American votes that would have otherwise gone to Dantin.