He was the spokesman for the Gijón Council between 1979 and 1986, a county councilor and a member of the regional Pre-Autonomous Body.

In 2009, a sector of the party began to ask him to become PP's candidate for President of Asturias, organizing meetings and a campaign for his nomination.

After six months of minority government and the PP and PSOE (which together had an absolute majority of seats) declining every bill, his regional budget for 2012 was rejected.

This blocked situation forced him to resign on 30 January 2012 and call for new elections to be held on 25 March.

As part of the Bárcenas affair, it was revealed that Francisco Álvarez Cascos received 421,693 euros of cash from the Popular Party between 1990 and 2004.