He was my congressman until he passed away--Geoff's too, I'd guess. I didn't agree with everything he did, but I voted for him every time he came up for reelection.
And now Arnie gets to appoint an interim replacement, who, it would seem, would have a leg up when the seat comes up for election in November. Jackie Speier's announced for it, not sure if anyone else has. But if Arnie decides to stick to party lines, he could potentially turn what had been a long-time Demo seat over to the GOP.