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                                                       Exhibit 31.1
                        CERTIFICATION
                        -------------

I, Robert A. Reynolds, Jr., certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Graybar
     Electric Company, Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
     necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
     circumstances under which such statements were made, not
     misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
     financial information included in this report, fairly present in
     all material respects the financial condition, results of
     operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the
     periods presented in this report;

4.   The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible
     for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
     procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-
     15(e)) for the registrant and have:

     a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
        such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
        our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
        to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
        made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
        during the period in which this report is being prepared;

     b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
        controls and procedures and presented in this report our
        conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
        and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
        report based on such evaluation; and

     c) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
        internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
        the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has materially
        affected or is reasonably likely to materially affect the
        registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.   The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed,
     based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
     financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
     committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons
     performing the equivalent functions):

     a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
        design or operation of internal control over financial
        reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
        registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report
        financial information; and

     b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
        other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
        internal control over financial reporting.

Date:  March 28, 2005

                          /s/ROBERT A. REYNOLDS, JR.
                          -----------------------------------------
                          Robert A. Reynolds, Jr.
                          President and Principal Executive Officer