A Buchans-born businessman will represent the Liberals in a deferred election in a central Newfoundland district, the party said Thursday.

John Woodrow, who is also a retired teacher, will challenge Progressive Conservative Susan Sullivan and New Democrat Junior Downey.

The Liberals were the last to nominate a candidate for the Nov. 6 vote in Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans district. Voting was pushed back almost a month after Liberal candidate Gerry Tobin died of a heart attack during the campaign leading to the Oct. 9 general election.

Downey — who has been campaigning door to door with NDP Leader Lorraine Michael — said having no Liberal candidate during the opening weeks of the campaign worked to his advantage.

"It definitely does increase my chances," he said.

The PCs picked up 43 of the 48 seats in the house of assembly in the election. Downey said voters in his district seem to want to bolster the size of the opposition.

"They are saying now, 'Maybe we do need an opposition,'" he said. "I have no doubt in my mind that the people I have talked to are seriously considering putting someone in the opposition."

Michael told CBC News that she has picked up the same sentiment.

"They are volunteering the notion that they want to vote for opposition," said Michael, who holds the only NDP seat in the house of assembly. The Liberals hold three.

But Sullivan, who had been running in the cancelled election, said voters are giving her a different sense of what will happen at the ballot box.

"I would say it is an unfair charge to ask the people of this district to simply vote for the opposition, because there isn't enough opposition right now," she said.