“What I did not want to do is run as a third party candidate, take votes away from the Democratic candidate and help elect some right-wing Republican. I did not want responsibility for that. So what I said at the beginning of the campaign is that I was not going to run as an independent. And I say it now, that if I do not win this process I will not run as an independent.”

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-sanders-on-why-he-wont-run-as-in-independent/

I would expect Sanders’ to keep his word. However, the polls have shown that his opponent, Hillary Clinton, may not be able to compete against the GOP front runner, Donald Trump. The last Gallop poll showed Hillary Clinton at a 52% disapproval level and Donald Trump at a 57% disapproval rating. Sanders consistently continues to lead Trump in the polls by larger margins than Clinton. A lot of voters view Clinton as part of the establishment they no longer support. Given the dramatic rise in independent voters over the last decade, I could imagine a future where Bernie choosing NOT to compete against Hillary – thus disengaging the Independent vote – could help Donald Trump more than hurt. The polls change every day, so we will see in due time.