Chief Justice Start was renominated in his campaign for a fourth term. However, Start withdrew from the race on September 23, 1912 and the name of Stewart, the third place finisher, was added to the general election ballot. Associate Justice Calvin Brown then launched a late campaign for Chief Justice and was nominated by petition.
Stanton was a Fifteenth Judicial District Judge (1908-1927), former probate judge in Swift County, and Democratic nominee for SD 56 in 1898 and 1902.
Stewart was an attorney from Minneapolis.