SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters announced at a press conference Friday morning he will not seek re-election in 2026.

"Forty-eight years ago as a young man who lived in this county and believed in its future, I raised my hand and took an oath of office to serve," Waters said. "I did not expect that oath would carry me across five decades, but Sevier County has a way of getting into your heart and never letting go. It surely never let go of mine."

Waters, a Sevier County native, is currently Tennessee's longest-serving active mayor with nearly 47 years in office and is one of the longest-serving mayors in state history. He's right up there with former Rogersville Mayor Jim Sells , who was previously the longest-serving elected mayor before he retired this summer

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