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 are casting the race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court as a referendum on billionaire Elon Musk as he and other Republican allies have outpaced Democrats in spending with the election just a month away.

Secondary market investors have sent the collective valuation of four of Musk’s private entities up 45% since the US election.