The chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is one in a field of nine candidates heading into the reservation's primary election next week.

Voters will decide whether to give a chance at a second term to Ron His Horse Is Thunder, who was president of Sitting Bull College at Fort Yates before winning the tribal election four years ago.

The primary election is Wednesday. The top two vote getters for positions of chairman, vice chairman, secretary and all eight district council seats will advance to the Sept. 30 general election.

His Horse Is Thunder will go up against two former tribal chairmen, Charles Murphy and Jay Taken Alive, in the primary, as well as the current council secretary.

Murphy and Taken Alive are tribal councilmen elected at-large, two of six on a 17-member council.

In a campaign ad in the Teton Times, His Horse Is Thunder said his accomplishments include changing tribal enrollment laws to a bloodline basis, reducing elders' electric bills and providing them $1,000 in annual assistance, compensating landowners who lost 40 acres or more in the Oahe Dam flood, collecting more than 50 percent of JTAC loans made to individuals and ranchers, and helping start up the Standing Rock Telecommunications, Standing Rock Propane and Rock Industries.

Avis Little Eagle, who is tribal secretary, said the tribe needs to figure out the best opportunities for its new telecommunications equipment and provide services for disabled tribal members, including people with diabetes complications and wounded service veterans.

The others running for chairman are Archie Fool Bear, Tim Mentz Sr., Frank White Bull, a councilman from the Kenel district, Antoine American Horse Jr., and Anthony Lewis.

Fool Bear said some of the election issues have to do with transparency in government, water rights, energy development and law enforcement.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and district election sites throughout the reservation.