Exhibit 23


          Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Annual Report (Form
10-K) of Graybar Electric Company, Inc. of our report dated February 24,
2006, included in the 2005 Annual Report to Shareholders of Graybar Electric
Company, Inc.

Our audits also included the financial statement schedule of Graybar
Electric Company, Inc. listed in Item 15(a). This schedule is the
responsibility of Graybar Electric Company, Inc.'s management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion based on our audits. In our opinion,
the financial statement schedule referred to above, when considered in
relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, present fairly
in all material respects the information set forth therein.




                                          /s/ Ernst & Young LLP




St. Louis, Missouri
February 24, 2006