In May 1993, Waigel announced that we would leave national politics and run for the state premiership of Bavaria against his rival, Edmund Stoiber. During what turned into a bitter struggle, it was revealed that he was estranged from his wife and had been in a long-standing relationship with former Olympic skier Irene Epple. In the end, he failed to win the premiership but stayed on as party leader. In late 1995, Waigel was re-elected to the CSU leadership with 95 percent of the vote.