In 2003, Julien ran for the North Miami Beach City Council to succeed retiring Councilman John Kurzman. He faced former El Portal Mayor Philippe Derose and Bruce Lamberto, a community activist, and ultimately lost to Derose, who became the first Haitian American elected to the city council.
Julien ran again in 2005, and faced allegations that he was falsely representing his credentials in his campaign. He claimed to be a "certified public accountant" who graduated from New York University with a master's degree in business administration, but no record of him existed at NYU or at the New York State Department of Education's Office of Professions. Julien won the election, He was later charged with two counts of misrepresentation, and under a plea agreement, made a charitable donation, completed an ethics training course, and publicly apologized. He was re-elected in 2007 and 2009.
Florida House of Representatives
In 2010, State Representative Yolly Roberson was term-limited, and Julien ran to succeed her in the 104th district. He ran in a crowded Democratic primary, and won the endorsement of the Miami Herald, which praised him for his experience on the city council and "skills as an accountant." Julien won the primary, receiving 40 percent of the vote.
Following redistricting, Julien ran for re-election in 2012 in the 107th district, where he faced fellow State Representative Barbara Watson in the primary. The race between the two was close, with Watson initially leading Julien by 26 votes. Julien requested a recount, which reduced Watson's victory to just 13 votes. He then filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the election, alleging that some absentee ballots were fraudulently cast from a nursing home. Julien's lawsuit was dismissed, and though he considered contesting Watson's victory before the State House, he ultimately declined to do so, and stated that he was considering leaving the Democratic Party.
