RICHMOND --If delegates at the Democratic National Convention expect partisan red meat from tonight's keynote speaker, they might be disappointed with former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner.

The U.S. Senate candidate said Monday that he plans to use his prime-time speaking platform to promote bipartisan cooperation as well as Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

"It's a real chance, I think, for Virginia to shine, to talk about how we could actually get Democrats and Republicans to work together on issues," Warner said in a conference call from Denver.

Warner is expected to speak about 9:30 p.m., preceding an appearance by Sen. Hillary Clinton, the runner-up in the Democratic presidential contest.

Obama's campaign tapped Warner to deliver the keynote speech on an evening when Democrats will focus largely on economic themes. But Warner said he was not asked to put a partisan edge on the centrist message that he has used to appeal to Virginia voters and work with Republican legislators.

"I've got a record in Virginia," Warner said. "I've got a view on how government ought to be part of fixing problems. I've got a view on the fact that neither political party's got a monopoly on truth or patriotism or all the answers. And the Obama campaign knew that's what I'm about and what I wanted to say."

Warner is seeking the Senate seat held by Republican John Warner, who will retire when his fifth term expires. The two Warners are not related.

Former Gov. Jim Gilmore is the Republican nominee for the Senate seat.

Gilmore spokeswoman Ana Gamonal questioned whether Mark Warner can deliver a speech that will appeal both to Democratic convention delegates and Virginia voters.

"He's been campaigning all of this time as someone who is bipartisan," Gamonal said. "When he addresses 20,000 of the most hard-line liberal Democrats in the nation, what can he say to them that will resonate with the hardworking families of Virginia?"

Warner has the same convention speaking role that Obama had in 2004 when Democrats gathered in Boston. Obama's keynote speech made him an instant Democratic star and sparked the momentum that led to his presidential candidacy.

Warner said his speech "may not be the soaring rhetoric of Senator Obama."

"The bar's been set pretty high," Warner said. "I've got one great opportunity here. The opportunity is that there is a great story to tell about what we were able to do in Virginia."