Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan downplayed their potential 2020 ambitions while in Des Moines on Monday, though they talked up what a governor might bring to a possible 2020 race — hypothetically, of course.

"I think most people are just kind of fed up with all of" the divisiveness in politics, Hogan told reporters at a meeting of the National Governors Association on Monday afternoon. "The governors, you don’t see a whole lot of that going on. But you see a lot of it in Washington."

Hogan, a Republican and vice chair of the governors association, has ramped up his criticism of Republican President Donald Trump in recent months and has not ruled out challenging the president in 2020.

He said he is not doing any campaigning while in Iowa, though he did meet with Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in her offices at the Iowa Capitol and said he hopes to speak to former Iowa governor and current U.S. ambassador to China Terry Branstad.

"I’m not really anywhere near making any kind of a decision about anything," he said Monday.

He was in Iowa with Bullock, a Democrat who is chairman of the bipartisan governors association, to discuss changing workforce demands.

Bullock has made numerous trips to Iowa and has begun hiring staff in the state as he weighs a 2020 run. He said Monday he was focused on his role as chairman of the association, though he will attend two political events Tuesday in Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids.

"Fundamentally, governors are on the front lines, meaning that this can’t just be about speeches or tweets," he said. "We actually have to get things done. We’re accountable to the people that we serve. So we have to figure out ways to actually make government work. And I think that is a lot different than what we see in Washington, D.C."

Hogan said he and Bullock have joked about potential 2020 runs and the possibility of returning to Iowa as candidates.

"I’ve joked with him a little bit about it, but we haven’t had any serious discussions," Hogan said. "He’s done a great job in his state, and I just hope he makes the right decision. But I’m not going to speak for him. I’m going to let him decide that and tell you what he wants to tell you."

Bullock laughed and said he's still focused on navigating the end of his state's legislative session before making any kind of decision about 2020.

"That’s my principal focus," he said.

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The field of Democratic presidential candidates continues to grow and now includes two governors: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced last week that he will run for president, and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper announced Monday that he also will run. Both men have campaign events scheduled in Iowa for later this week. Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is also considering a run.

But Hogan is one of only a few Republicans talking publicly about the possibility of a primary challenge to the president.

Hogan is among the most popular governors in the country, according to polling, and coasted to re-election in a blue state.

He used his January inaugural address to denounce dysfunctional politics in Washington, and he recalled his father, former U.S. Rep. Lawrence Hogan, who was the first Republican to publicly call for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Hogan said he's not interested in a "kamikaze mission" against Trump, but is leaving the option open — particularly if Trump's political position changes as the result of ongoing investigations by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and others.

"I don't have the inside scoop on what (the report is) going to say," Hogan told the AP. "But if there was damaging information, if ... some serious charges come out or it becomes worse than it is today and he took a hit in the polls, then I think all bets are off."

Also in the Republican mix: Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who served as the vice presidential nominee on the Libertarian ticket in 2016. Weld has launched a Republican presidential exploratory committee.