Complex sentence: Harrington, 77 He was a strong contender for governor but declined the nomination because his second wife, Se-be-quay, a native American, would not have been accepted as a governor's wife.
Split into simpler sentences: Harrington, 77 He was a strong contender for governor but declined the nomination due to his second wife, Se-be-quay. At that time, as a native American, she would not have been accepted as a governor's wife.