St. Paul, Minn. — The list of Iowa's 40 delegates to the Republican National Convention reads like a mix of veteran party regulars and rookies.

No first-timer stands out more than Mike Knopf, a 17-year-old high school student from Dubuque and the youngest member of the Iowa delegation.

Knopf is also the youngest of the roughly 2,380 national delegates to the convention that begins today in St. Paul, Minn.

"It means a lot to me to be part of it, especially since lots of my generation will never get to experience something like this," Knopf said Sunday. "I'm taking full advantage of this."

Knopf is one of the youngest ever elected to a national convention. Republican and Democratic rules require delegates to be voting age by Election Day. Knopf, who will turn 18 on Oct. 31, makes the cut by just four days.

Despite his early political activity, Knopf is a typical Dubuque Senior High School student. The senior plays football and just bought his first car, a 1991 Camaro.

Knopf, a hunter, said one reason he is a Republican is his strong support for gun owners' rights. He just started working as a lifeguard and said he also wants to keep taxes low.

"I work hard for the money I earn, and I want to keep more of it," he said. "Being a Republican is about the beliefs and values I hold. Republicans are about keeping taxes low and limited government. And that's what I believe."

Iowa's delegation also is a mix of supporters of the candidates who were the most competitive in Iowa's leadoff nominating caucuses in January. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won the caucuses, which drew record party turnout of about 118,000.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney finished second, followed by former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, an Arizona senator, in a near-tie for third.

Knopf supported Romney at the caucuses, in part because of Romney's past as a successful CEO before entering politics. "But I'm obviously a McCain supporter now, because a lot of the same fundamentals apply," Knopf said.

Knopf, unsure where he will attend college, wants to study political science and one day run for office.

"That's why I'm getting involved at a young age," he said. "Ultimately, I want to be a senator or a governor, and I want to change the way things run."

He has already been featured in the news in eastern Iowa, as well as by CBC News and National Public Radio, and was headed Sunday to the convention site, St. Paul's Xcel Center, for more interviews.