Just days after ending his bid for re-election, the leader of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation of North Dakota has changed his mind.

Chairman Marcus Levings said today he will run for a second term. Tribal elders convinced him to get back in the race.

"It was the request from the elders that caused me to reconsider – at their urging and the urging of many other people, I will again seek the chairman’s position," Levings said.

Levings was elected as chairman in 2006 after serving eight years on the tribal council. In January, he said he planned to seek re-election.

But last week, Levings announced he wouldn't seek a second term. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family and on other activities.

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