 Prior to autonomy, he held the office of President of Regional Council, the head of the pre-autonomous government of Murcia, from May 5, 1979, until July 1982.Hernández Ros, who was a chemist by profession, first joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in 1974 and became the PSOE secretary in 1977.On May 1, 1978, he was elected party Secretary General following the merger of the PSOE with the People's Socialist Party, which had been led by Enrique Tierno Galván.