Governor Alexander Ramsey appointed David Blakely of St. Paul after Republican Secretary of State James Baker resigned on November 17, 1862 to serve in the Union Army as a colonel of the 10th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. Blakely was a newspaper publisher who served as the Clerk of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1861-1862.
Cogswell was a farmer from Aurora, former Republican state Representative (HD 15, 1859-1861) and Speaker of the House, and future state Senator (SD 12, 1872-1876).