FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 22, 2026
Contact: Maren Stewart
maren.stewart@state.mn.us
612-594-1721

Commission on Judicial Selection Recommends Seventh Judicial District Candidates to Governor Walz 

[ST. PAUL, MN] – Today, the Commission on Judicial Selection recommended three candidates for consideration to fill two vacancies in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District. These vacancies will occur upon the retirement of the Honorable William J. Cashman and the Honorable Gail T. Kulick. The seats will be chambered in St. Cloud in Stearns County and Milaca in Mille Lacs County. 

Marc Hedman-Dennis: Marc Hedman-Dennis supports education and communities as an assistant general counsel for Sourcewell, the regional service cooperative for North Central Minnesota. He was previously an assistant county attorney in the Crow Wing County Attorney’s Office, where he worked in child protection, juvenile prosecution, and civil commitments. Hedman-Dennis serves as a volunteer board member for the Walk-in Counseling Center. He has also served on the Minnesota County Attorneys Association’s Juvenile Law Committee, the statewide Children’s Justice Initiative Mental Health Subcommittee, and the Crow Wing County Child Protection Team. He also plays in various bands which support causes and nonprofits.  

Timothy Hochsprung: Timothy Hochsprung is an assistant county attorney in the Douglas County Attorney's Office, where he handles felony, gross misdemeanor, juvenile prosecution, civil commitments, and child support matters. He previously served as an assistant public defender in the Seventh Judicial District and as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Peter M. Irvine in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District. Hochsprung is on the board of directors for Alexandria’s chapter of Let's Go Fishing and leads their “donate your boat” program. He is an avid falconer and volunteers his time giving presentations on falconry and birds of prey at schools and organizations around Alexandria. 

Victoria Willis-Gutnik: Victoria Willis-Gutnik is an assistant county attorney in the Stearns County Attorney’s Office, where she prosecutes criminal offenses with a focus on intimate partner violence and human trafficking. She previously served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Sarah E. Henessy in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District. Willis-Gutnik serves on the Ethics Committee of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association and as a prosecutor for the Central Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force. Her community involvement includes serving as a judge for mock trial competitions and advocacy programs. She is a member of the Stearns-Benton Bar Association and the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers. 

For more information about the judicial selection process, please visit the Governor’s Judicial Appointments webpage. 

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