Senate hopeful Beto O'Rourke was back in Lubbock Monday for his largest rally in the Hub City to date.

O'Rourke's first two public events last year in Lubbock were inside small local restaurants — on Monday security was having to turn people away because the hall inside the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center was at capacity. O'Rourke, a Democrat from El Paso, stood on a chair to quickly greet the people having to listen in the lobby on his way to the main stage, with nearly 1,000 people in total showing up for the event.

O'Rourke said if elected he wants to open a field office in Lubbock so he can continue listening to voters in the area.

On stage Monday afternoon, O'Rourke talked about change, about unifying the country, about ending the name-calling, and of course about voting in the upcoming Nov. 6 midterm election.

"Please invite every single person in your life into the election of our lifetime," O'Rourke said. "Given what's at stake and given what's on the line right now, we need to do everything within our power so that you can wake up on (Nov. 7), the day after this election, with a glorious hangover from celebrating the victory of our lifetime."

O'Rourke is challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who will be in Lubbock Wednesday. Early voting began Oct. 22 and continues through Friday. It was O’Rourke’s eighth visit to the Hub City since announcing his candidacy last year, and he noted that each visit is drawing a bigger crowd. He applauded Lubbock County for its turnout numbers so far, which as of Sunday was even greater than the turnout pace in the 2016 presidential elections.

O'Rourke stopped in Amarillo and Wichita Falls Monday as well. His speech in Lubbock was very much painted with a broad brush — focusing more on the big-picture outlook of the country. He spoke of campaign finance reform, health care for all, climate change and incarceration rates, but his focus was on changing the course of the country.

"I want the people of Lubbock to know that, at this moment where the country is so divided, so polarized, so partisan, that we're going to be the answer to that," O'Rourke said. "We're going to come together regardless of political party, geography or any other small difference that divides us. We're going to lead this country on the big matters that are important to us."

The most recent Quinnipiac poll released Monday with just about a week to go before Election Day found Cruz leading by 5 percentage points among likely voters. The poll said 51 percent of likely voters favor Cruz compared to 46 percent favoring O'Rourke. The poll showed O'Rourke leading among independent voters, but Cruz favored high across the state.

Quinnipiac's previous poll on the race released Oct. 11 found Cruz leading by 9 percentage points.

"I feel better than what they show," O'Rourke said of the polls when asked about it Monday. "Perhaps the polls reflect something, but bigger than that are all the people who say they've always been a Republican, still am, but say I'm voting with you because I like where you are on trade or protecting these cotton growers or on immigration ... everyone says it and it's true — the only poll that matters is the one we see on the 6th."