He may not have declared his candidacy, but Coos Bay native Brian Clem is testing the waters for a run at the governor’s office.

The state representative, a Democrat who lives in Salem, was in Portland on Wednesday, where he stopped to speak with a minister about gun violence. He said it would be an interesting conversation in light of his fairly frequent hunting trips in the Tioga Unit with his dad. It’s just one of many opportunities he’s taken to try to bridge the interests of rural and metropolitan Oregonians.

It’s getting the state to help both kinds of communities thrive in a global economy that has Clem, 36, looking hard at the 2010 governor’s race.

He’s into his second term in the House, serving in the same chamber as Arnie Roblan, who was his principal at Marshfield High School.

His work in Salem has focused on finding ways to connect rural communities with urban areas to make them both successful.

His first year in the House, he sponsored a bill encouraging urban school districts to buy food from rural farms. He also helped pass legislation that made it easier for children to take over farms, forests or fishing boats from their parents without having to pay inheritance taxes.

This past session, Clem served as chairman of the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Communities Committee. He sees natural resources as the key to helping Oregon forward, as they can provide the funding to ensure that all Oregon children have a shot at a quality education.

Even his personal life straddles the two worlds of Oregon. He owns a computer repair business in Salem and co-owns a family orchard near Hood River.

He hasn’t made many visits to the South Coast as a state representative, though he plans to come home to declare his candidacy if it gets that far. Clem says he’d support former governor John Kitzhaber if he plans to make a run for a third term.

“Many of my beliefs come from growing up in Coos Bay, particular in watching the decline of the timber industry,” he said. “I’m very loyal to the community that gave me such a strong opportunity in life.”

Clem attended Blossom Gulch Elementary School, Millicoma Middle School and Marshfield, graduating in 1990. He played soccer, basketball, golf and tennis, while also competing on Deb Larsen’s forensics team.

He keeps in touch with his former debate coach, even contemplating a visit when he heard rumors the school district might cut the program.

“She was a big influence on my life,” he said.

Larsen remembers Clem as a hard worker who came in as a ninth-grader thinking he would have it easy. When he realized everyone else knew just as much as him or was willing to learn, he redoubled his efforts.

“He got kind of a wake-up call,” she recalled. “But he was motivated.”