John Sophocleus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Sophocleus preparing to give an on-air interview for WACV 1170AM in Montgomery, Alabama during his 2002 gubernatorial campaign.

John Peter Sophocleus is an economist and libertarian political activist in Alabama.

Sophocleus has taught economics at Clemson University, Auburn University, and Auburn University Montgomery. He has been twice nominated to the Who's Who Among American Teachers. He is a frequent attendee at Mises Institute events and occasionally lectures there, usually on United States tariff history.

[edit] Political efforts

In 1996, he was the Libertarian Party candidate for Alabama's 3rd District, U.S. House of Representatives seat, opposing Republican Bob Riley.

In 2002, Sophocleus entered the Alabama gubernatorial race against incumbent Don Siegelman and previous opponent Bob Riley. In the 2002 race, which was one of the closest in Alabama's history, Sophocleus received 23,243 votes (~2%) [1], a number which was greater than the margin of victory in the race.

According to a 16 November 2002 New York Times editorial by John J. Miller:

The only reason the governor's race in Alabama was so close this year as to be disputed beyond election night was that the Libertarian candidate, John Sophocleus, attracted 23,000 votes.[2]

On 8 June 2006, in the wake of Stephen P. Gordon's acceptance of a position with the national Libertarian Party and subsequent resignation from the LPA Executive Committee, Sophocleus was named Interim Vice-Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Alabama.[3]

[edit] Eminent domain conflict

Since 1998, Sophocleus has been involved in litigation with the State of Alabama, the Alabama Department of Transportation, and others over the seizure of his US Highway 280 home via eminent domain. Sophocleus contends that the state acted improperly by evicting him and allowing highway workers to live in his house for several months (while he still held legal title to the home) rather than immediately demolishing it as was stated would happen in District Court.