Oscar Ray Peden was an American businessman and politician who served in the Alabama Senate from Alabama's 1st Senate district, representing Lauderdale County and portions of Colbert County and Franklin County. In an electoral upset, he defeated Democratic state representative Jimmy Hunt, who was backed by Governor George Wallace, for the state senate in a February 1977 special election while running as an independent Democrat. Hunt had been hand-picked by the State Democratic Executive Committee for its nomination in lieu of a primary. Peden was a vocal critic of Wallace during his tenure in the chamber. Peden ran for re-election for a full term as a Democrat in 1978 but lost the Democratic nomination to Bobby E. Denton. Peden had previously served as a member of the city commission of Florence, Alabama for two three-year terms from 1970 to 1976. Peden was the last independent member of the Alabama Senate until the 1983 statewide special election.