About Norm

Norm Needleman was elected to the state senate in 2018 to represent the 33rd district which consists of twelve towns in the Lower Connecticut River Valley including: Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Portland, Westbrook, and part of Old Saybrook.

Needleman serves as Senate Chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, Vice Chair of the Planning and Development Committee, and is a member of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding, Transportation, and Commerce Committees.

In his role as Co-Chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, Sen. Needleman was instrumental in passing legislation that will over the next ten years lead to approximately one third of the state’ s energy requirements being sourced from renewable wind power. This initiative will help provide a stable, long term energy supply for the state, and fulfill the promise of a carbon free energy future by 2040. Additionally, Norm’s committee approved legislation expanding residential and municipal solar, commissioned a study on distributed generation, and supported the placement of solar panels on state property.

Sen. Needleman’s work has also resulted in significant successes benefitting the 33rd District, including three key legislative initiatives: police officers and firefighters can now receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder; Connecticut lakes, ponds and rivers now have increased protection from invasive species through a new funding program; and the age of access for tobacco products has been raised from 18 to 21.

Needleman’s common sense approach has made him a respected problem solver, and added to his impact as the voice of the 33rd District in Hartford. He has been able to forge bipartisan and often unanimous support for legislation by seeking consensus, rejecting partisan politics, and fostering an open and inclusive exchange of views.

Needleman is also currently in his fifth term as Essex First Selectman where he has brought Democrats and Republicans together, found consensus, solved problems, and kept property taxes among the lowest in the state without cutting services. He has over 20 years of experience advocating for his small town, having previously served as an Essex Selectman, a member of the Essex Zoning Board of Appeals, and a member of the Essex Economic Development Commission. Needleman is a member of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments, helping the 17 member towns coordinate various government functions. He is also a board member of Valley Shore Emergency Communications, a center formed by local public safety professionals to handle emergency call processing and dispatching needs for communities throughout the region.

Needleman's business career started at the age of 13 working for his father in his one-man grocery store. At 17 he worked in a bookstore and at 19 he began driving a New York City taxi cab while in college. At midnight on one of his last taxi shifts, an entrepreneur hopped in his cab and the conversation changed his life forever. A week later Needleman was working on a factory line for the man's company. Four years after that he launched his own pharmaceutical business, Tower Laboratories.

The company has been located in Essex for over 30 years and employs over 150 people in Connecticut. Needleman is still the CEO, working alongside his two sons. As a leading CEO in the region, he serves as a board member of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce.

Needleman lives in Essex with Jacqueline Hubbard, the Executive Director of the Ivoryton Playhouse. His two sons also live in Essex, allowing him ample time to spoil his grandchildren.