Complex sentence: His son, Lincoln Chafee, was appointed to serve the remainder of his term--after leaving the Senate and the Republican Party, in 2011 Lincoln Chafee, elected as an independent, would follow his father's footsteps as Governor of Rhode Island as well.
Split into simpler sentences: His son, Lincoln Chafee, was appointed to serve the remainder of his term. After leaving the Senate and the Republican Party, in 2011 Lincoln Chafee, elected as an independent, would follow his father's footsteps as Governor of Rhode Island as well.