Alumni of Dartmouth College have elected a fourth petition-driven candidate to its governing board of 18 trustees. Stephen F. Smith, a Dartmouth alumnus and law professor at the University of Virginia, bested a slate of three candidates selected by the Dartmouth Alumni Council, according to results released today.

On his Web site, Mr. Smith argues that Dartmouth should retain the qualities of a small college, emphasizing both teaching and research, and that the college’s administration has become a bloated bureaucracy. Mr. Smith also disputes allegations that his candidacy was part of a conservative scheme to take over the board.

“I have been subjected to innuendo suggesting that I’m somehow a stooge for hidden conservative forces,” Mr. Smith writes. “I am, in fact, a truly independent candidate. No one and no group — liberal, conservative, or otherwise — is controlling or bankrolling my campaign.”

It’s easy to see why some critics have questioned Mr. Smith’s ties to conservatives, as he received scads of endorsements from right-wing groups, media outlets, and even William F. Buckley. The recent rise of insurgent candidacies, at Dartmouth and elsewhere, is a new front in the culture wars.

In a written statement, James Wright, Dartmouth’s president, said he looked forward to working with Mr. Smith and noted that he has good relations with the three other insurgent trustees. —Paul Fain