Ann McGovern told The Associated Press on Wednesday that her 90-year-old father is "nearing the end" and appears restful and peaceful. She says the family gathering has allowed for a "mysterious, beautiful" experience.

 

McGovern was the Democratic presidential candidate who lost to President Richard Nixon in 1972 in a historic landslide. He was a member of the U.S. House from 1957 to 1961 and a U.S. senator from 1963 to 1981.

 

He became a leader of the Democrats' liberal wing during those three decades and has turned his focus in recent years to world hunger.