William Scott Vare - Senate Scandal and End of Career

Senate Scandal and End of Career

In 1926 Vare announced his candidacy for the United States Senate. Both the primaries and general election were mired in scandal. After Vare apparently won the election, Governor Gifford Pinchot, who had been drubbed by Vare in the primary, refused to certify the election. In January 1927, Pinchot testified before the Senate, producing several thousand illegal paper ballots. Nevertheless, the Senate informed Vare that they would contact him. In the interim Vare began smoking, drinking and eating to excess. This led in August 1928 to a stroke that nearly killed him.

In December 1929, Vare was summoned before the Senate where he was informed that while he won the election, they could not agree to his being seated. However, Vare took it to mean that he was being denied the seat because of Pinchot's charges. As a result, in the 1930 gubernatorial primary, Vare supported Democratic nominee John Hemphill, who lost to Pinchot. At this point a palace coup emerged at the Republican City Committee, where he was ousted and replaced by Secretary of Labor James Davis.

Four years later, Vare attempted a comeback as a Democrat. However, the symptoms of the 1928 stroke had become worse in the ensuing six years, and he died on the sixth anniversary of the stroke. He is buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.