Sen. Norm Needleman said he doesn’t consider himself a politician but rather a public servant and a problem solver.

The 69-year-old Democrat from Essex wants to continue his work in Hartford because he thinks he is and will continue to be an asset. He is seeking a second term in office and faces Republican Brendan Saunders in this year’s race for the 33rd Senate District seat.

“I just want to bring something to the table. I have unique experience. I’m a fast learner and not very ideological. We need problem solvers and thinkers to do public service. I’d like to think I’m both of those,” Needleman said.

Needleman won his seat in a tightly contested race in 2018 and now serves as chairman of the Energy and Technology Committee, vice chairman of the Planning and Development Committee and a member of the Transportation and Commerce Committee and the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.

Needleman has served on the Essex Board of Selectmen since 2002 and as First Selectman since 2011, valuable municipal leadership experience that he says was a natural extension of his years running a successful company.

Needleman founded and remains the chief operating officer of Tower Laboratories, which manufactures effervescent personal care and supplement products and has three manufacturing plants in Connecticut — two in Centerbook and another in Clinton — along with one in Michigan.

Asked about how be balances the workload, Needleman said he’s spent a lot of time building a team of employees that are able to run the day-to-day operations.

He said he only takes about 10% of the normal salary of First Selectman in Essex and at the state level has declined to accept a salary or benefits and is not part of the state’s pension system. He said, “That allows me to be an honest advocate for improving the legislature.”

Needleman said one of his main focuses in the upcoming session remains energy. The House and Senate passed a bill during the last session that creates performance-based rate making for power companies, in part a response to a rate hike in July and a storm that left thousands without power in August. Needleman called it an important first step and said he is proud of the bipartisan support considering the hyper-partisan environment we live in.

“We all compromised. We all listened. Everyone deserves a seat at the table, and you should be heard. Not all ideas are good ideas but all ideas from another party are bad ideas,” he said.

Needleman said he also remains committed to exploring renewable energy sources, such as offshore wind power, but at a pace that allows technology to keep up and does not lead to major rate hikes. He would like to see the federal government create incentives for development of battery storage of the wind and solar energy.

Needleman said he thinks Gov. Ned Lamont has done a remarkable job leading the state through “unimaginable bad times” and said he would continue to work to ensure the state recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Of course we’re going to recover,” Needleman said. “We’ve learned to be an adaptable state. We’ve suffered the slings and arrows of mill closings and industries leaving Connecticut, but employment started to grow again.”

As for the business climate in the state, Needleman said the legislature could be more aggressive in developing initiatives to create a more attractive business climate — expanding Enterprise and Opportunity Zones, expanding technical school facilities and better marketing of the assets of the state.

Needleman said he’s conservative when it comes to fiscal matters.

“You need to manage people’s money like it was your own money,” he said.

On social issues, he’s an advocate of a woman’s right to choose, said he will fight for rights and the LGBTQ community and voted in a special session in favor of a police accountability bill.

The law bans conditionally choke holds, allows for an independent review of the use of deadly force and contains a controversial “qualified immunity” provision that some argue subjects municipalities to more frivolous lawsuits.

He said the bill “was not a perfect solution.”

“Here I am choosing between police, who I love and respect, and communities that are in deep pain and anguish,” he said. “It was an attempt to try and fix things. We can and should work to achieve better balance in this law, which is why I believe it should be reexamined and amended."

Needleman has two sons, two stepdaughters and six grandchildren and has been in a committed relationship for 20 years with Jacqueline Hubbard, the executive director of the Ivoryton Playhouse.

The 33rd District covers the towns of Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland and Westbrook.

g.smith@theday.com