The National Party has named 20 new candidates to contest seats at this year's General Election, to be held in September.

Party president Peter Goodfellow says the candidates come from diverse backgrounds, including a military officer, pilot, police officer, scientist and a number of business people.

Goodfellow hopes to wrestle back Northland from New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who stormed to victory in a 2015 by-election.

Matt King is their candidate there, who Goodfellow says has "a really good team behind him that covers the whole of the electorate."

"It is a big electorate and we're determined that National's voice and National's policies are heard right through the north."

Goodfellow also has high hopes for Chris Penk, who will have big shoes to fill if he manages to win in Helensville.

"He's already out there doing exactly what John Key did fifteen years ago, which is meeting people, going around community events, door-knocking," Goodfellow pointed out.

Full list of new National candidates:

Northland: Matt King
East Coast Bays: Erica Stanford
Maungakieki: Denise Lee
Kelston: Bala Beeram
New Lynn: Paulo Garcia
Helensville: Chris Penk
Mangere: Agnes Loheni
Manurewa: Katrina Bungard
Pakuranga: Simeon Brown
Waikato: Tim van de Molen
Napier: David Elliott
Tukituki: Lawrence Yule
Palmerston North: Adrienne Pierce
Whanganui: Harete Hipango
Rimutaka: Carolyn O'Fallon
Mana: Euon Murrell
Wellington Central: Nicola Willis
Wigram: David Hiatt
Rangitata: Andrew Falloon
Dunedin South: Matt Gregory