More than 170 Democratic activists had gathered at the public library in Sauk City, a small town in a quintessential swing county in the southern part of the state, to counteract Musk’s attempt to buy a Wisconsin Supreme Court election and tip the balance of power on the court.

Democrats on Tuesday promised to “punch back” against Elon Musk in the race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, casting the election as a referendum on the billionaire adviser to President Donald Trump.

In their only debate before next month's election, Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel traded barbs over mega-donors Soros and Musk and their involvement in the race.

The race pits GOP-backed Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel, a former attorney general, against liberal-backed Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford.