HE is expecting his first child within weeks but Nick Champion was likely to be given a second reason to celebrate last night as the favourite to return as a federal Labor MP. 
Mr Champion, 44, has held the seat of Wakefield since 2007, representing swathes of the struggling northern suburbs, Gawler, Clare Valley and parts of the state's Mid-North.
Amid local anxiety about the pending departure of Holden next year - a major electorate issue - Mr Champion was last night hoping to secure a fourth term in a seat he held with a 3.4 per cent margin.
He aimed to hold off a push from popular local Liberal candidate, small business owner Kathleen Bourne, also 44, despite her party investing few resources in the fight.
Yesterday, both candidates, who had campaigned on job creation, spent the day at different Craigmore schools.
Mr Champion won the seat from the Liberal's David Fawcett, now a senator, and turned it into a safe Labor seat before his margin was cut by more than 6 per cent at the last election.
The Greenock resident recruited his heavily pregnant wife, Fiona, 35, to hand out "how to vote" cards in the Barossa Valley. Later this month he is expecting his first child, a daughter, to be called Louise.
"I've got some flatpack cots and change tables to erect and, of course, election signs to be removed," he said. "I might pay for someone to put (the furniture) together." Speaking ahead of last night's poll, Mr Champion, who cast his vote in Gawler before spending the evening at the Salisbury RSL club, was quietly confident. "The truth is you serve at the pleasure of the people and you're in their hands and the race is all but run at this point," he said.
Other candidates included Richard Inwood (Nick Xenophon Team), Marilyn Phillips (Family First) and Craig Vanstone (The Greens).
WAKEFIELD CHAMPION (ALP) BOURNE (LIB) INWOOD (NXT)MARGIN 3.4%