Mandy Mayhem

Family Mandy married Lee Bullock and Vita. Mayhem earlier donated egg cells, contributing to a friend's births of two other children.

Community involvement

Mayhem runs a monthly community market in Waitati. She is the commander of the pacifist combat arm of the Waitati militia, a satirical "pacifist warfare" group formed over 50 years ago in protest against the Vietnam war. Mayhem is involved with the Coastal Communities Cycleway Connection, is chair of Keep Dunedin Beautiful and a local emergency response co-ordinator.

Performance career

Mayhem worked in Wellington as a clown, then worked for five years with Ridgway Circus, where "Mayhem" was her stage name. and has been organising the annual Wuthering Heights dance-along in the Octagon since 2019.

Political career Mayhem spent six years as a member of the Dunedin City Council's Waikouaiti-Coast Community Board she is deputy chair of the city council's community services committee.

She is the unofficial mayor of Waitati, a small coastal settlement within Dunedin city.

Mayhem announced in May 2025 that she would stand as a candidate for Mayor of Dunedin and for city councillor in the 2025 Dunedin City Council election.

On 26 August 2025, Cr Mayhem voted against a DCC motion to scrap the contentious Albany Street cycleway project, which passed by a vote of 8 to 7 votes. The Albany Street cycleway project would have involved removing 48 carparks near the University of Otago. Local business owners had criticised the DCC for not consulting them about the proposed project. Mayor Jules Radich has used his casting vote to pass the motion after Cr Jim O'Malley recused himself from the proceedings. That same day, Mayhem voted in favour of a motion to scrap free Sunday parking in the Dunedin city centre, which passed by a vote of 11 to 4. On 23 September, Mayhem supported a revocation motion filed by Cr Christine Garey to revoke the council's decision to cancel the Albany Street connection, which passed by a margin of 8 to 7 votes.

During the New Zealand local elections which concluded on 11 October 2025, Mayhem came seventh place in the mayoral race but was re-elected to the City Council.

On 12 November 2025, Mayhem supported a successful council motion to accept a budget overspend on the contentious Albany Street Connection Project, which passed by a margin of 8 to 7 votes.

Political views

Mayhem's 2022 election campaign cited accessibility, sustainability and wellbeing as political priorities.

In a 2023 interview, Mayhem said “I know what it is to be a solo mother. I know what it is to be forced to take budgeting advice at the foodbank," claiming that "older, white men – business people" on the council lack the same lived experience as her.