Election by the state legislature by joint convention. Sabin was elected on the 29th round of balloting and did not receive a single vote until the 20th round. Windom was the second incumbent U.S. Senator to be defeated in Minnesota history following Democrat James Shields in 1859.
Sabin was a railroad car manufacturer from Stillwater, former state Senator (SD 02, 1871-1872; SD 22, 1872-1874), and sitting state Representative (HD 22, 1878-1879, 1881-1883; HD 24, 1883-1883).
Cole was an attorney from Faribault, former state Attorney General (1860-1866), former state Senator (SD 08, 1865-1867) and sitting state Representative (HD 20, 1883-1885).
Berry as an Associate Supreme Court Justice (1865-1887) and former territorial Representative (HD 08, 1857) and state Senator (SD 08, 1863-1865).
Hubbard was a grain dealer from Red Wing, former state Senator (SD 16, 1872-1876), and sitting Governor (1882-1887).
Berry was a resident of Minneapolis, former territorial Representative (HD 08, 1857), former state Senator (SD 08, 1863-1865), and sitting Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1865-1887).
Wakefield was an attorney from Blue Earth, former state Representative (HD 14, 1857-1859; HD 20, 1863-1864, 1866-1867), former state Senator(SD 20, 1866-1871), former Lieutenant Governor (1876-1880), and U.S. Representative (CD 02, 1883-1887).