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.

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.