Varnish compositions for electrical insulation and method of using the same

A process for preparing a redistributed poly(phenylene ether), comprising reacting a poly(phenylene ether) in a reactive diluent monomer with a polyhydric phenol in the presence of a redistribution catalyst to form a composition comprising a redistributed poly(phenylene ether) in the reactive monomer diluent. The redistributed poly(phenylene ether) exhibits an intrinsic viscosity in the range of about 0.06 deciliters per gram to about 0.25 deciliters per gram, measured in chloroform at 25° C. The redistributed poly(phenylene ether) can be functionalized and admixed with unsaturated resin such as an unsaturated polyester resin or vinyl ester resin to obtain a varnish composition that, when cured, can form an electrically insulative thermoset.