In February, the state legislature elected Stillwater Republican state Representative Dwight Sabin to the U.S. Senate.
In November, Republicans scored big victories across all six statewide offices this cycle with Governor Lucius Hubbard, Lieutenant Governor C.A. Gilman, Secretary of State Fred Von Baumbach, Attorney General William Hahn, Treasurer Charles Kittelson, and Railroad Commissioner James Baker all reelected by double-digit margins. This was the last election to the Railroad Commission as an 1885 bill would change the single-member, directly elected Railroad Commission to a three-member, appointed Railroad and Warehouse Commission. The constitutional offices elected in 1883 were for three-year terms for this single cycle and then back to two-year terms beginning with the Election of 1886.
Elections
Date
Office
Stage
Winners
Details
11/06/1883
Lieutenant Governor
General
Charles A. (C.A.) Gilman (Republican) won with 75,021 votes (55.26%) and a winning margin of +14.33
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Charles A. (C.A.) Gilman
Incumbent
Man
Republican
75,021
55.26
Randolph (R.L.) Frazee
Man
Democrat
55,561
40.93
Cornelius B. (C.B.) Shove
Man
Prohibition-People's
5,001
3.68
Scattering
Write-In
90
0.07
Thomas A. Clark
Man
Write-In
79
0.06
Lieutenant Governor Gilman was reelected to a third term.
Frazee was owned a sawmill and flourmill in Frazee City.
Shove was an insurance agent from Minneapolis and future Republican State Representative (HD 40, 1903-1905).
Lucius Hubbard (Republican) won with 72,462 votes (53.37%) and a winning margin of +10.47
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Lucius Hubbard
Incumbent
Man
Republican
72,462
53.37
Adolph Biermann
Man
Democrat
58,251
42.90
Charles Evans Holt
Man
Prohibition
4,924
3.63
Ignatius Donnelly
Man
Write-In
79
0.06
Scattering
Write-In
59
0.04
Governor Hubbard was reelected to a second term. A constitutional amendment passed in 1883 requiring state elections to be held in even-numbered years; as such, Hubbard's new term was set for three years through December 1886.
Biermann was a resident of Rochester, former Olmsted County Auditor (1875-1880), Democratic nominee for Secretary of State in 1875, and 1882 and 1884 nominee for the 1st Congressional District. He later served as state Auditor (1891-1893).
Erasmus C. (E.C.) Severance (Republican) won with 1,021 votes (56.32%) and a winning margin of +24.32
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Erasmus C. (E.C.) Severance
Man
Republican
1,021
56.32
John Adams (i)
Man
Democrat
580
31.99
Henry (H.B.) Lewis
Man
Prohibition
212
11.69
Special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of state Senator James McLaughlin on February 22, 1883. McLaughlin was the first state Senator to die while the legislature was in session.
William (W.T.) Wilkins (Republican) won with 1,132 votes (54.06%) and a winning margin of +8.12
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
William (W.T.) Wilkins
Man
Republican
1,132
54.06
John Frank
Man
Democrat
962
45.94
Special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of state Senator William L. Hollister in May 1883 after being appointed inspector of internation revenue for Minnesota and Iowa.
James H. Baker (Republican) won with 78,329 votes (58.80%) and a winning margin of +21.40
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
James H. Baker
Incumbent
Man
Republican
78,329
58.80
Axel (A.T.) Lindholm
Man
Democrat
49,827
37.41
S. Meeker
Man
Prohibition
4,861
3.65
F. Gueswine
Man
Write-In
162
0.12
Scattering
Write-In
27
0.02
Commissioner Baker was reelected to a second term. This was the last election to the Railroad Commission as an 1885 bill would change the single-member, directly elected Railroad Commission to a three-member, appointed Railroad and Warehouse Commission. The remaining offices were for three-year terms for this single cycle and then two-year terms beginning with the Election of 1886. Elections for the Railroad and Warehouse Commission would commence in 1900.
Lindholm was a resident of St. Paul and nominee for Washington County Treasurer in 1879.
Meeker was a resident of Evansville and hotel keeper.