Complex sentence: Many felt Knowland would use the office of governor to lead the California Republican delegation in 1960, and try to deny the nomination for President of the United States to Vice President Nixon and take it himself.
Split into simpler sentences: Many felt Knowland would use the office of governor to lead the California Republican Delegation in 1960. Bill Knowland would then try to deny the nomination for President of the United States to Vice President Richard M. Nixon and take it himself.