Warren Plunk, the criminal defense attorney challenging Oklahoma County District Judge Susan Stallings, died Aug. 29 at his home. He was 54.

Neither candidate's name will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot for District Court Office 10 in the state's 7th Judicial District, The Oklahoman reported. Under Oklahoma election law, when a judicial candidate dies before ballot printing begins, the governor must call a special election to fill the seat.

Tom Vineyard, pastor of Higher Plain Baptist Church, confirmed Plunk's death to The Oklahoman.

"He had a servant's heart," Vineyard said.

No cause of death was reported.

What the law requires

The statute lays out a specific sequence: the governor must set a new filing period, followed by a special primary election no fewer than 45 days later, then a special general election at least 45 days after that. The governor's office had not announced a timeline as of Aug. 30.

New candidates could enter the race during the filing period. Stallings, who was first elected in 2018, would need to file again to keep the seat.

The race by the numbers

Through Aug. 10, Plunk had raised $19,415 in campaign contributions, according to his latest campaign finance report. Stallings reported $16,448 in contributions over the same period and had loaned her campaign $10,000.

Plunk became a licensed attorney in Oklahoma in 2006 and built a practice in criminal defense. Stallings told The Oklahoman she had known him for years.

Cases tied to the seat

Stallings has presided over several prominent cases from the Office 10 bench. In May, she oversaw the fraud trial of Brent Swadley, owner of Swadley's Bar-B-Q. Swadley is awaiting sentencing.

Stallings also stepped down in November from the racketeering case against Ben Harris and David Chaney, co-founders of Epic Charter Schools. She recused herself because Joe White, the defense attorney for Harris, served as chair of Plunk's judicial campaign.

What voters should know

Neither Plunk nor Stallings will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. Oklahoma County voters who planned to cast a ballot in that judicial race will instead wait for the governor to announce the special election timeline, including a new filing period and election dates.