Dawson was born in Fort Lauderdale and moved to Daytona Beach when she was six years old.

[6] During her time in the legislature, she worked on bills restoring civil rights for ex-offenders, penalties for leaving children in locked cars, and keeping Black physicians on managed care panels to address health care inequalities.

[8] She married Hobson Bethune, a retired Marine and longtime youth athletics coach, in 2010.

[6] Mandy Dawson suffered from chronic back pain requiring hospitalization and surgery.

[10] In court papers filed in early February 2012, Dawson signaled her intention to plead guilty to the tax evasion charges.