Two-term Republican incumbent state Sen. Art Linares is facing Democrat Norm Needleman, currently in his third term as first selectman of Essex, in the race for the 33rd District.

The 12-town state Senate district includes Clinton, Westbrook, Old Saybrook, Essex, Chester, Deep River, Lyme, Haddam, East Haddam, Colchester, Portland and East Hampton.

Needleman, 64, was the only person nominated at the Democratic Party convention on Monday. He said he plans to attend several Memorial Day events in the district.

“I’ll begin going door-to-door as soon as I have some literature to give out,” he said Wednesday. “I’ll knock on as many doors as possible.”

He added that he plans to ask Linares to debate him in every town in the district.

Linares, a 27-year-old Westbrook resident, said he wants to serve a third term to help address the state’s fiscal issues. He was endorsed unanimously at the Republican Party convention in early May.

“I know our state is in a very serious fiscal crisis,” he said. He plans to work with Republican colleagues to advance a “path to prosperity” proposal for the state, but said keeping and gaining GOP seats in the legislature will be key to achieving that. Republicans hold 15 of the 36 seats in the state Senate, and are also in the minority in the state House.

“We need to make sure we stop balancing the budget on the backs of working people,” Linares said. He said he will also advocate for more funding for education.

“I’m confident that Republicans have the right ideas to get the state back on track,” he said.

Both Needleman and Linares started their own companies.

Needleman is founder of Tower Laboratories, a specialty pharmaceuticals and health and beauty products company that employs 150 people at plants and offices in Essex, Clinton and Michigan.

Linares is managing partner and co-founder of Greenskies, a Middletown-based company that develops solar power facilities.

Needleman said his priorities in the Senate would be financial and economic development and public safety issues.

“I believe the state has an obligation to protect those who are less fortunate and need help, but we also have an obligation to make sure the state is fiscally healthy,” he said. “We need to bring common sense back to the way we budget.”

He believes the state needs to focus more efforts on economic development to attract and preserve businesses.

Linares said he believes the Democratic majority in the General Assembly has not served the state well, and that “more balance” needs to be brought to the Capitol “to provide for a sustainable future for the state.”

j.benson@theday.com