Associate Justice McMillan was reelected to a second term. McMillan was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by Governor Cushman Davis after the resignation of Charles Ripley in March 1874 due to ill health. Governor Davis appointed Minneapolis Attorney George Young McMillan to fill McMillan's vacancy. [McMillan then resigned as Chief Justice after getting elected to the U.S. Senate on February 19, 1875].
Associate Justice Berry was reelected to a second term.
Jewell was a resident of Lake City and nominated by the Temperance Party. Hamlin was a judge from St. Cloud who was also nominated by the Temperance Party and attempted to withdraw his name from the ballot. Buck was the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State in 1861.
Buck was an attorney from Mankato, Democratic nominee for Secretary of State in 1861, former state Representative (HD 17, 1866-1867), eventual state Senator (SD 14, 1879-1883), Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1888, and Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice (1893-1899).
Mitchell was an attorney from Winona, eventual District Court Judge in the Third Judicial District, candidate for Associate Supreme Court Justice in 1878, and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1881-1900).
Hamlin was an attorney, the first Mayor of St. Cloud, former Judge of the Fourth District Court (1858), Democratic nominee for Governor in 1861, candidate for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1864 and 1869.
Jewell was a resident of Lake City, Prohibition nominee for Clerk of the Supreme Court in 1875 and for Lieutenant Governor in 1877.