Hillary Clinton knows a thing or two about tough election losses.

That's apparently what compelled the former 2016 candidate for president to write a letter to 8-year-old Martha Kennedy Morales. The school-aged girl recently faced off against a boy from her class in an election for class president, and she lost by one vote.

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The story of what happened to Morales, who attends school in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., made its way to Clinton via a grapevine of D.C. insiders, The Washington Postreports. Frequent Facebook posts from Albert Morales, Martha's father, about the class election caught the eye of an unnamed Clinton associate, who mentioned it to the former candidate.

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Clinton spokesperson Nick Merrill confirmed the letter's authenticity.

Just like Clinton, Martha dealt with some drama leading into an election that ended with her taking on the class's vice president role, as the runner-up. After the first round of votes were cast, six ballots were invalidated because students didn't fill them out correctly. Then, in a subsequent second vote, Martha lost by just one.

Clinton opened her letter with a nod to the Facebook posts from Martha's dad and a hearty congratulations for the young girl's vice president win. Then she shared some wisdom from her own perspective of having lived through a hotly contested election race for a position that's traditionally been a boy's club.

While I know you may have been disappointed that you did not win President, I am so proud of you for deciding to run in the first place. As I know too well, it’s not easy when you stand up and put yourself in contention for a role that’s only been sought by boys. The most important thing is that you fought for what you believed in, and that is always worth it. As you continue to learn and grow in the years ahead, never stop standing up for what is right and seeking opportunities to be a leader, and know that I am cheering you on for a future of great success.

What a lovely story, and a sweet message to send to this passionate, young girl. Today's kids are tomorrow's leaders, after all.

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