Inez Tenenbaum, considered by many to be the Democrats’ best shot at defeating Republican Gov. Mark Sanford in 2006, says she plans to run for a third term as state education superintendent.

Tenenbaum said she officially will announce her candidacy for re-election, in 2006, next month.

“It’s a job I really enjoy,” said Tenenbaum, who in November lost her bid for the U.S. Senate. “I feel so fulfilled as superintendent.”

Asked whether she had ruled out a run for governor, Tenenbaum said only: “I think the best thing for me to do is focus on my re-election campaign starting in January.”

Tenenbaum said she will use her bully pulpit at the Department of Education to fight Sanford’s proposal to give tax breaks to parents who want to send their children to private school or another public school.

She and other opponents of tax credits, which Sanford advocates, say they would hurt public schools.

State Rep. Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg, filed a bill Wednesday, called “Put Parents in Charge,” that would create tuition tax credits.

Sanford, whose spokesman did not return phone calls Wednesday, has said tax credits would help parents and push the public schools to improve.

He and several lawmakers flew Wednesday to Milwaukee to learn more about that city’s voucher program. Unlike vouchers, which allow parents to spend on private school tuition the tax dollars that would have gone to public schools, tax credits reduce the parents’ tax bills.

Tenenbaum said public schools are improving thanks to performance standards set by the Legislature. But, she added, S.C. schools already are underfunded, and tax credits would mean even less money would be available for schools and other state needs.

“The biggest problem is public schools are challenged by accountability, and here we want to give money to schools that have no accountability,” she said.

Tenenbaum said she thinks the tax credit idea won’t be well received. “There will be many Republicans and Democrats on the same side as I am.”

Reach Talhelm at (803) 771-8339 or jtalhelm@thestate.com.