HARTFORD — It's the Super Bowl of politics, but it only happens once every four years.

While some Americans are disgusted with the current presidential election campaign, the delegates to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland thrive on it. In fact, the political junkies battle for a seat as one of only 28 delegates from Connecticut — and then they pay their own way to attend.

They wait four full years to do this. Some have done it seven times over the years.

The 28 delegates are largely party stalwarts with long experience in Republican politics. The longest serving is Patricia Longo, who has been working for the party since 1961 — when some delegates were toddlers or not yet born. She and fellow Republican National Committee member John Frey have both attended seven conventions, dating back to Houston for President George H.W. Bush in 1992.

The youngest Connecticut delegate is 28-year-old state Senator Art Linares, who was born 27 years after Longo got her start in politics.

For the hard-core veterans, even going to multiple conventions never gets old.

For the newcomers, it's their first opportunity to see politics up close in an improbable and unconventional year.

"It's been a fascinating election cycle, and it's going to be very interesting to have a front-row seat for this piece of history,'' said Ann Brookes of Westbrook, a tax attorney who is heading to her first convention. "It's a privilege to go to this."

Besides the 28 delegates and 25 alternates, there is a wide variety of guests that brings the Connecticut contingent to nearly 130. In addition to hearing official speeches for four nights in a large basketball arena, they have a full schedule of events planned that start with an opening night reception and concert by the Doobie Brothers on Sunday night at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Cleveland's waterfront.

So how does someone become a delegate?

Some are party stalwarts of long standing. Some are fundraisers. Some are elected officials. The group includes former state chairmen Herb Shepardson and Richard Foley, along with state legislators like House Republican leader Themis Klarides of Derby, Tony D'Amelio of Waterbury, and Sen. Michael McLachlan of Danbury.

Hardcore Trump Supporters

Others are being rewarded for working in the trenches for Trump.

One of those is first-time attendee Susan W. Hatfield of Pomfret, a Georgetown-educated lawyer, former Wall Street municipal bond attorney and current state prosecutor who once worked as a policy aide to then-U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Working for the chief state's attorney's office, she often prosecutes high-profile cases involving police officers or judicial marshals that are handled by the statewide bureau so there are no conflicts of interest in the local courts.

Despite having a busy job and two young children, Hatfield, 44, spent much of her extra time making hundreds of phone calls and delivering hundreds of lawn signs in becoming one of Trump's most passionate volunteers in northeastern Connecticut. She was drawn by Trump's law-and-order stance that involves strong backing for the police and a tough line against domestic and foreign terrorism.

"My husband is a state trooper. I'm a prosecutor,'' Hatfield said in an interview. "Trump has such support from law enforcement in general, especially in the eastern part of the state. Law enforcement is a passion of ours, especially with everything going on in the country.''

Keenly aware that Trump has high negative ratings among some voters, Hatfield said that Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton's negatives are equally high.

"He's going to catch a lot of the voters who are not going to vote for Hillary,'' Hatfield said. "He will get a lot of the undecideds.''

Another convention newcomer is Annalisa Stravato of Wilton, who serves as vice chairwoman of the state Republican Party. The convention is important for her for family reasons, as an Italian immigrant who was raised in the Bronx near Fordham Road and became an American citizen about six years ago.

"I came to the country when I was five years old,'' Stravato, 49, said. "My parents didn't speak a word of English. My dad knew there was a better life for him here in the United States. He understood this was the country of opportunity, and he wanted his daughters to have the best possible opportunity.''

Stravato added, "For me, personally, the experience of being on that [convention] floor – the daughter of an immigrant – is very humbling. My Dad is beside himself. He's a big Trump fan. He said, 'If anybody told me 44 years ago that my daughter would be a delegate to one of the most memorable conventions, I would not have believed it.'"

After earning a degree in finance, working on Wall Street for 11 years, and living in London for two years with her husband, Stravato eventually moved to Connecticut 16 years ago. She became the first Connecticut party leader to publicly endorse Trump, whose candidacy she says marks a turning point for the party.

"No matter what happens with the presidential elections, the Republican Party will never be the same," Stravato said in a telephone interview as she was headed to Cleveland in a car with Hatfield and fellow delegate Ben Proto of Stratford. "I think people are feeling their voices are finally being heard. People are at least feeling validated. As divided as the party is now, the fact is we are coming together at the convention. It's a changing of the guard — between the old guard and the new guard."

Proto, a veteran of five conventions, including three as a delegate, is using his legal background on the rules committee to oppose the "vote-your-conscience-rule" that would allow delegates to vote for any candidate they want. The full convention will vote on the rules this week in a move to block the "Never Trump" movement.

"My feeling is over 60 percent of the Republicans in Connecticut said they wanted Donald Trump as their nominee," Proto said. "Either we believe in the concept of the election or we don't. It's my duty to represent the Republicans of Connecticut. I don't know how anybody from any delegation can go against what the people in their state said they wanted. That goes against the very basis of our fundamental democracy."

For the hard-core, passionate delegates, the convention is often the highlight of their year.

"This is Disneyworld and the Super Bowl all rolled into one for them," said Scott McLean, a Quinnipiac University professor who is in Cleveland with eight students who are studying the political process. "There will be a celebration in Cleveland."

Nationally, McLean said it is clear that Trump was not the first choice of many voters and delegates who originally supported Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio of Florida, John Kasich of Ohio or Ted Cruz of Texas.

"They may not be terribly enthusiastic about Donald Trump, but they are hungry to win the White House," McLean said. "They really are hungry for a win, and that is going to carry Trump a long way."

And the veteran convention-goers just keep coming back. Frey, a 53-year-old state legislator from Ridgefield, has attended seven conventions, including six as a delegate.

"You have a front-row seat at democracy in action,'' Frey said. "It doesn't get old"'