Former House Republican Conference Chairman J.C. Watts (Okla.), who now runs a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm and other businesses, is hosting a fundraiser for Rep. Edolphus Towns (D) on July 17.

The breakfast fundraiser will be held at the headquarters of JC Watts Companies in downtown D.C. Suggested contributions are $500 for individuals and $1,000 for political action committees.

Towns is facing a competitive challenge in the Sept. 9 Democratic primary from Kevin Powell, an author and community activist who is casting himself as part of a new generation of leaders poised to replace the old guard in Brooklyn. Towns is also occasionally criticized by Democratic leaders and interest groups for not following the party line sufficiently — and being the beneficiary of a fundraiser hosted by a former House GOP leader may only add fuel to those critics’ fire.

Eyebrows may also be raised because Watts, a leading Republican partisan, is hosting a fundraiser for a Democrat.

Spokeswomen for Towns and Watts did not respond to requests for comment by press time Wednesday.