The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) is set to see to a leadership change in the tribal election this weekend, with two former chairmen vying for the top spot.

The election is Sunday. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the tribal headquarters off Black Brook Road in Aquinnah.

Donald Widdiss, who previously served three terms as chairman, is running against Cheryl Andrews-Maltais. Ms. Andrews-Maltais previously served two terms as chairman. She was unseated by Tobias Vanderhoop in 2013. Mr. Vanderhoop is reportedly not seeking reelection. He did not return telephone calls from the Gazette this week seeking comment.

Mr. Widdiss said if elected, he hopes to obtain more federal funds to expand programs and economic opportunities for the tribe. “They never give you enough money to meet your needs,” he said of the federal government, which provides funding each year. “So it’s important the tribe spend a bit of time to develop what is called self-determination. I think I can better take advantage of the opportunities the tribe has.”

Ms. Andrews-Maltais highlighted her experience in tribal government, and also in Washington D.C., where she recently served as advisor to the assistant secretary of Indian Affairs. She too said she aims to improve programs and services in Aquinnah, with a focus on young people and supporting a year-round community. “There are so few jobs and so few opportunities that people have had to leave the Island to go and find work,” she said. “So we haven't had the community as together as it used to be in years past.”

A bid by the Gay Head Wampanoags to pursue casino gambling remains mired in federal court. — Mark Lovewell

The election comes in the wake of a controversial push for casino gambling in Aquinnah that remains unresolved; the tribe is at odds with both the town and the state in a lingering court case that could last for years.

As chairman, Ms. Andrews-Maltais strongly advocated opening a casino in Aquinnah — an effort that Mr. Vanderhoop carried forward during his term. Those efforts hit a wall last year, when a federal judge said the tribe gave up its rights to casino gambling when it signed a land claims settlement agreement with the town of Aquinnah in the late 1980s. The tribe has appealed the ruling, and arguments in the case are set for early December.

A plan to convert the tribe’s unfinished community center into a class 2 bingo hall has drawn widespread opposition on the Island, including from Mr. Widdiss.

But this week he said that as chairman, he would take a somewhat different approach.

“I think the tribe has gaming opportunities,” Mr. Widdiss said. “I’m not sure they exist on the Vineyard, but the court is hearing that in a little bit, so we’ll see. We are required to pay attention to what is happening and make decisions based on what the opportunity is.”

Mr. Widdiss was the tribe’s first chairman after it gained federal recognition in 1987.

Ms. Andrews-Maltais suggested that gaming was off the table, at least for the moment, as the legal process plays out. “Gaming is not really an issue at this time,” she said.

Of the tribe’s approximately 1,290 members, about 300 live on the Island and 900 are eligible to vote in tribal elections.

The chairman oversees an 11-member elected tribal council (plus two honorary members), which determines policies and procedures for the tribe, as authorized by the tribal constitution.

Tribal government proceedings, including elections, are not open to the public. Election results are usually announced after ballots are counted.