Election by the state legislature with each chamber voting separately. Clapp won 54 of 60 votes in the state Senate with Smith receiving six. Clapp won 111 of 118 votes in the state House with Smith receiving six and Clague winning one. A large GOP legislative majority plus Democratic defections to Clapp resulted in the most lopsided U.S. Senate race decided by the state legislature in Minnesota history. The legislature declared Clapp the duly elected U.S. Senator in a joint convention on January 18, 1905.
Senator Clapp was reelected to a second term.
Smith was a banker from St. Paul, former state Representative (HD 27, 1885-1887), former state Senator (SD 27, 1887-1891), and Mayor of St. Paul (1887-1892, 1894-1896, 1900-1908).
Clague was an attorney from Lamberton, former Redwood County Attorney (1895-1903), and sitting state Representative (HD 19, 1903-1907). He would later win election to the state Senate (SD 19, 1907-1915) and U.S. House (CD 02, 1921-1933).