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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 26, 2004

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