ST. PAUL — Gov. Mark Dayton announced Tuesday he is pushing to release prices for the state’s health insurance exchange on Oct. 1, more than six weeks before Minnesotans can start picking more plans — and a month before they head to the polls.

Republicans have criticized Dayton’s administration for not committing to publish the information before Election Day, suggesting Democrats are hiding potential rate increases until after the gubernatorial race. Dayton told reporters Monday that he hadn’t decided on an early release and accused the GOP of playing politics with the state’s exchange, MNsure.

But Dayton’s plan, outlined in a letter sent shortly before a meeting by a legislative committee that oversees the state exchange, calls for an Oct. 1 release of health insurance rates. Those rates were set to be published before open enrollment begins on Nov. 15, but their release can be pushed up if all participating health plans agree with the Department of Commerce’s request.

The move will give Minnesotans more time to select the right health plan, Dayton wrote in the letter. Rates were published almost a month early last year.