Ball was a journalist from St. Paul who was appointed on October 14, 1940 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Ernest Lundeen on August 31, 1940. Senator Ball did not run in the special election for the remaining two months of the unexpired term.
Mickelson was editor and publisher of the New Ulm Daily Journal.
Soltau was a reverend from Minneapolis. He was convicted and imprisoned in February 1942 for perjury related to a liquor raid case in Minneapolis.
Northrup was a resident of Owatonna.